Photobirder: Ferruginous Duck adult male at Holmestrand, Vestfold & Telemark, Norway on 6th May 2020

Sunday 10 May 2020

Ferruginous Duck adult male at Holmestrand, Vestfold & Telemark, Norway on 6th May 2020

On 6th May 2020 I had an hour or so to kill and decided to check out our local breeding Eurasian Moorhen's that yearly breed at Snekkestaddammen (Lake), near Holmestrand. Arriving at 11:15 two Moorhen's were soon located and all other present species noted including three Common Goldeneye, eight Greylag Geese and a few Barn Swallows and House Martins. The first Mallard eggs had hatched and two families of seven and five pullus scuttled over the lake to avoid the birder standing close to the water's edge. While photographing a Moorhen on the western side of the lake a brown duck lying low in the centre of the lake caught the eye. On finding the duck in the camera viewfinder the duck it was chased into flight by one of the male Goldeneye's and a series of action images were taken of both birds in flight. Looking through the viewfinder it was immediately realised that this was no common Norwegian duck species but an adult male Ferruginous Duck / Hvitøyeand Aythya nyroca. A quick telephone call to a birding pal and we were soon two happy bird photographers. The news was soon reported on our rare bird alert and soon afterwards many birders started to arrive. In two days the bird was present well over a hundred birders have been to see this rare bird which will certainly be one of this years big crown pullers (by Norwegian birding terms) that is.
If this observation is accepted by the rare birds committee this will be the 12th accepted record for Norway. The last observation in the old county of Vestfold was an adult female on 28th April 1996.