Sunday 23 January 2011

Mussel Duck

The name Scaup originates from the word skalp meaning mussel-bed. The word was prompted by one it's favourite items on it's diet.

This one had been hanging around the marina in Dover Harbour for a while. I went and had a look today, and couldn't find it for a while. After a walk along the pier to look at the gulls, which proved fruitless I returned to the dock and found it fully in the open.

I came over and saw me for a while, but it was so dark that I would probably have done rather better with a large flash.

It is the first time I've photographed an adult female, the last one at Sandwich was a male. The white around the beak is more extensive than you ever get on a female tufted duck.

She did swim over to see me but quickly realised I wasn't very interesting and swam off.

1 comment:

Greater Kent Birder said...

Tony,
Nice find. I've looked for it 3 or 4 times in the recent past and not found it. I wonder whether it went and has come back.