Venus Pool - Common Scoters

A good find at VP today by John Martin in the shape of two Common Scoters on the adjacent Fishing Pool...

A rare moment of the 'sleepy one'...

Quickly zzzzzzing away!

As they drifted further out...

Venus Pool - Common Scoters

 A miserable start to the day saw torrential rain produce a group of five Common Scoters drop in on the adjacent fishing pool...

Here they are with a male at the head...

The four female / 1st winter birds with similar plumage patterns apart from one paler cheeked less contrasty bird...

Nice find for John Martin!

Priorslee Lake - Common Scoter

I dashed like a mad thing back from Notts (if such a thing is possible in the rush hour!) Any Scoter is a good Scoter in Shropshire and after thinking the female Common Scoter was a county year-tick, I realised I'd had one in January at Chelmarsh!

Not exactly bearing comparison with the colourful birds I'd been working with all afternoon but I even got some decent record shots,

another nice find by Reevesy... Well done mate! And 40 mins after I'd left a Sandwich Tern breezed through without stopping for Clive Biddlulph and co! grrrrrr....

Scilly day 8 - Pelagic Common Scoter

On the run in to St Mary's, three Common Scoters took evasive action and in doing so, gave a great opportunity for take off shots! Here's one of them in action....

Get those wings flapping.....

And then those feet skipping to reduce drag......

Up up and away......