Cold Edge

5 of 33 Greylag Geese, with Canadas

Tufted Duck male. The dark eye ages it as 1cy

There is no tuft at the nape, but the structure of head and bill exclude Scaup:

- forehead is rounded, leading to highest point of crown being at its centre, (Scaup has steep forehead, and highest point of crown in front of its centre);

- culmen of bill is smoothly concave, (culmen of Scaup is almost straight, and bill is deeper and wider);

- bill is shorter: 2/3 of bill to nape interval, (Scaup 3/4).

Scaup breed in Iceland and Scandinavia, and I think we get an early autumn passage of 1cy birds. My first young Scaup was shown to me at Ogden by Phil Cunningham in September over 30 years ago, and I have  seen (and blogged) a number in early autumn in recent years. Young 1cy Tufted and Scaup have identical plumage so it is likely some young Scaup are missed.