Scaup - Carsington Water

The usual trip round the moor this morning was very dismal and no birds. Roger mentioned that the Scaup, which have been present at Carsington since early December, had been showing well at the Millfields end yesterday so that looked like a better bet than persisting on Beeley.
There was no sign when I first arrived but 40 Pink-footed Geese heading SW in the mist and rain was a bonus. Eventually two males flew in and I then picked up another male by which time the two males had been joined by two females so 5 birds in all. 

The males are all first winters and probably look much more male like than when they first arrived. The females were both rather brown and so probably first winters also although I did not see them that close.

Scaup - first winter males

Scaup - a third first winter male

Scaup - two females with the males