My first recorded sighting of a Long-tailed Duck was way back in 1994 during a winter visit to the North Norfolk coast and all subsequent sightings had always been at coastal locations. So hearing that a juvenile had turned up on a pond in my land-locked home county I grabbed the opportunity yesterday to search it out at Frensham Little Pond.
With just two areas free of ice it didn't take me too long to locate this individual as it drifted back and forth alongside the ice constantly diving and reappearing for a moment or two before disappearing again. Monitoring the air bubbles rising to the surface helped me to gauge where it would reappear.
Obviously not as stunning as an adult in full breeding plumage but still a delightful encounter and a nice addition to my year list.
Linking to:
