Ruddy Shelduck - Carsington Water

A Ruddy Shelduck was found at Carsington last Thursday and was still present this morning when it flew in with Canada Geese just after 8am at Millfields. A rare visitor to the County, but recorded most years, and almost certainly of feral origins.

Ruddy Shelduck - probably adult female

Although the Ruddy Shelduck is on the British List it is in Category B, species which have been recorded in an apparently natural state at least once between 1 January1800 and 31 December 1949. All subsequent records are in Category E which comprises those species that have been recorded as introductions, human-assisted transportees or escapees from captivity, whose breeding populations (if any) are thought not to be self-sustaining. 
The Ruddy Shelduck is a native of eastern Europe, breeding around the Black Sea coast and adjoining areas of Greece, I saw at least 20 birds on the Greek island of Kos this Spring.
There is, however a regular and increasing flock of moulting birds at Eemmeer in the Netherlands each summer with over 800 birds counted recently. This is a possible source of the un-ringed Carsington bird, as well as the half dozen which turn up elsewhere in the UK at this time of year, post the moult which leaves them flightless for several weeks. These birds appear to be mainly from feral populations in Switzerland and Germany but there is a slight chance that this moulting flock could include genuine wild birds from further east. If the link to wild birds could be proven, birds at Eemmeer have been ringed and even satellite tagged, then there would be some possibility of genuinely wild birds occurring in the UK.