Bufflehead brace
Two of these mega Nearctic ducks graced Ireland in December, doubling the total of presumed vagrant individuals in western Europe this winter.
Buffleheads in Ireland: December 2020
TWO Buffleheads were found at opposite ends of the Irish landmass in December, with Northern Ireland’s first-ever record pitching up in Co Down from 5th, before a female-type was photographed in Co Cork on 20th and then seen again in early January.
Perhaps the highlight of the festive period in Britain and Ireland – in rarity terms at least – was the latter bird, discovered on a small roadside pool at
Oysterhaven from 2 January; it is almost certainly the one seen flying past Aghada pier on 20 December. This individual represents the fifth for Ireland and follows hot on the heels of a first-winter female at an undisclosed site in Co Clare on 29 November.
The Northern Irish bird, a pristine drake, was found at Quoile Pondage from
5th, and was identified via a post on a Facebook bird identification site. In southwest Norway, what is perhaps the country’s first Bufflehead
– a first-winter female – was at Harvalandsvatnet from 4th, completing a mini ‘influx’ to northern and western Europe of this Western Palearctic rarity. ■