Shoveler

As I was driving past Christleton pond I spotted some unusual ducks so pulled over to see if I could identify them. Normally it is just a haven for mallards, hybrid ducks, coots and moorhens with the odd cormorant and heron so these stood out. They are shovelers.

Typically they were in the middle and far side of the pond and as soon as I moved round they went into the reeds. I then returned to my original location and they re-emerged so I made a second attempt to walk round the pond but this time they flew off before I could get there. 

These pictures were therefore taken from a much greater distance than I would have liked and they are not particularly sharp but it is a duck I don't recall seeing around here before. According to the bird book they are not uncommon in the south and east of England but are found in smaller numbers in the west and Scotland. 

It is good to get another new bird for the year