Birdwatch

Bufflehead brace

Two of these mega Nearctic ducks graced Ireland in December, doubling the total of presumed vagrant individual­s in western Europe this winter.

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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. ■

 ??  ?? The Co Cork Bufflehead on her favoured roadside pool near Oysterhave­n.
The Co Cork Bufflehead on her favoured roadside pool near Oysterhave­n.

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