2 male goosander together & 5 females more scattered along south side. Most of pochard & tufties in SE corner for a change, except a male of each nearer clubhouse. A load of shoveler in middle but didn’t count them & I still haven’t seen the GND!

Just 2 redhead Goosanders on the res this morning but they contributed to my list for the month for Feb. reaching 100 species. Earlier I saw a Dipper in the gorge for the first time in 4 years and a Grey Wagtail in the usual area.

10 goosanders today (4 males). Shoveler flock now about 100 birds in middle of reservoir joined by good numbers of teal and wigeon. Also adult great black backed gull. Two chiffchaffs singing well.

Thought the fog might have cleared, or grounded something interesting, but all it meant was a close pair of goosander in SW & the RC pochard back with the mallard. Otherwise just usual “edge” species (couldn’t even see cormorants further out) & still no swans or geese.

GND still showing well on the south side, 11am.

GND giving good views from the south side midday, 2 goosander, Med Gull and several common gull. Sadly 1 common gull dead on the west side, reported to defra and BirdTrack

The RCP was actually hanging out with the snoozing pochard flock today (25 male, only 6 female). Not many tufties with them, nor the scaup. Most of regular mallard were around at the cheddar tower, with more further out towards middle. Green woodpecker calling again. Dead 2ndW common gull on west shore, also a crow with some white in wing & raven over. 5 male shoveler (ads & 1stWs) chasing one female, plus 5 linnet & redhead goosander (flew) in SW corner. Female sparrowhawk was circling over axbridge bypass.

Summer plumage MED gull sat on water north of the cheddar tower (ad common gull patrolling that area too & 1stW common along south side). One meadow pipit nearer clubhouse (where grey wagtail was last time).

12.30pm The med gull is now next to the tower & not quite full breeding as still has a white face (between beak & eyes and onto forehead - I was viewing from behind before as it is pointing into the wind). 12.35 it flew off but may well have landed elsewhere amongst the (non) black-heads

GND still present and showing well on west bank this afternoon. Also RC pochard near Axbridge entrance and 4 Shovelers.

Nice pics, interesting how much the extent of black varies depending on the angle

Glad the pictures were of help Jeff.

Great to know it is a Greater Scaup.

Thanks for the research and information.

Thanks for your photos of the Cheddar scaup Dave. Interesting that the one with wing flapping shows a pro Greater Scaup feature: its underwing lacks (doesn’t show) the prominent dark-blackish inner leading edge (body to just after carpal joint) that both male and female Tufted Ducks have.
In The Helm Guide to Bird ID by Vinicombe et.al., describing a 1st-winter male, it states (p63): As the bill changes from blackish to pale blue with a small oval nail, intermediate patterns may occur; until late winter, some retain dark either side of the nail and some may continue to show a large D-shaped patch at the tip.
One never stops learning about birds, and with the above and your photos I now believe it is a drake Greater Scaup, not a hybrid.

Of interest, here’s a photo on Twitter of the Slimbridge drake Greater Scaup taken very recently by Paul Masters…
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Fn1ArzOXEAE_BPi?format=jpg&name=small

Ive posted some pictures of what I presume is the Scaup on my Flickr page. Hope they may be of some help with Id.
Pictures were taken this morning near Axbridge entrance Cheddar Res..

https://flic.kr/p/2oeEEqX

Immature scaup do have a wider band, so may be possible for adults to maintain it - I still haven’t seen any photos of the cheddar bird, so here’s another to show the progress of the slimbridge 1st winter, now looking more like the one we’re discussing:
https://mobile.twitter.com/PaulDMasters/status/1620522568682819589

Thanks for your interesting observations Jeff.

Saw the supposed drake Greater Scaup y’day (30th) feeding, close in, with a dozen or so tufties just off the Axbridge bank. Although the bright sun made viewing difficult (shining off the bird’s bill) thro’ my ‘scope it looked as if it was lacking an isolated small black nail marking at its bill-tip, this being merged with a narrow black band across the bill width. Otherwise its overall slightly larger size than the tufties, its larger, more rounded head shape than theirs and its greyish mantle (slightly darker grey than an adult in its 2nd winter) looked about right for a drake in late Jan/Feb. On the basis of its none isolated black bill nail I would suggest it being a drake Scaup/female Tufted hybrid, but stand to be corrected.