A check for Scoter yesterday evening found nothing on Oxenhope and then this morning a text from CK alerted me to 3 males which arrived last light yesterday or early morning today.
A dash up there in a spare hour early afternoon found the 3 still present but very distant, as always , in the centre of the water which was very rough in the wind creating troughs and waves which the birds were lost amongst.
1 of the Scoters looked like the others on the water apart from lack of knobble on its bill but in flight was very pale looking almost Mallard like. I believe this to be a first year male.
The 3 remained throughout my visit but kept flying a circuit of the water before landing back in the same place.
Well done to Chris King for getting up there this morning and turning them up.
3m Common Scoter
c 400 LBB
c100 BHG
21 Herring
76 Lapwing
+ usual sp
Still a lack of waders even with sandy shoreline full length of the western bank and several pools exposed.
BS