Ruff - having a scratch

This is a ruff, but I have no idea whether it is a male or a female. At this time of the year many of them are passing through Britian and heading south from their breeding grounds in Scandinavia. When they return here in spring, some of the males will have begun to show colourful ruffs. These neck feathers, which are important for display purposes during the lek, can be black, white, ginger or a mixture of the colours. 

How to identify a ruff: 
A medium-sized wading bird with a  longish neck, a small head, a short slightly droopy bill and medium-long orange or reddish legs. 
They have a pronounced scale like pattern on their feathers with white underparts.