Return To The Bolton Sea Duck

High Rid Reservoir, Bolton - 26.11.18

It wasn't my intension to make another visit to view the Scoter after yesterday grey and bitterly cold day, but after seeing the weather forecast this morning for the remainder of the week I thought I'd have another trip especially with glimmers of sun light making an appearance early morning.

Conditions today are quite different from yesterday, it's still cloudy but windless with flat calm water almost mirror like in its reflection and useless for photography, add to that the Scoter isn't doing much either sleeping with its head under its wing. looks like its going to be a waiting game.

Surprisingly for a weekday there maybe fifteen non workers viewing not a lot of action. The odd camera shutter clicks but I'm not interested having already images in better conditions from yesterday so I'm happy just to watch and chat. Now around midday the cloud has cleared showing that there is some blue up there after all, it also seem's to have prompted the Scoter in to action as it starts diving eventually moving to the road side of the reservoir. Time to change location.

Now on the opposite side of the reservoir the light conditions are the best they've been at any time on my two visits, slowly the Scoter move towards the awaiting clicking cameras presumably having a preference diving closer to the reservoir edge. For the next thirty minuets or so the Scoter happily dives surfacing in water now with some great colour of greens and yellows and a big contrast to yesterdays grey and flat light.

All too soon the Scoter moves back out into the middle of the reservoir, coupled with the sun dropping lower in the sky it looks like the best of the conditions might be over before the Scoter next comes close enough photograph.

With some eight hundred images in the bag in the best light to date, I'm happy I made the effort to revisit again today. Time for home and keen to see the results in computer.

Until the next time..

Velvet Scoter

Bolton Sea Duck

High Rid Reservoir, Bolton - 25.11.18

Female Velvet Scoter found on High Rid Reservoir Saturday, the word is out !

High Rid Reservoir a new venue for me even thou I know the area quite well located between Bolton and Horwich. The last notable time I was in Horwich was to play a North West Counties league squash match, one of the opposition players later to go on and be the British Open and World Squash Champion, but I digress.

The local inter network airways are buzzing that on Saturday evening a female Velvet Scoter had be found that day on a moorland reservoir in Bolton, being quite near to home and the fact that I hadn't seen a Velvet Scoter in Greater Manchester since the one found at Debdale Park way back in 1978 I thought I give it a go.

As I set off on the short drive over to Bolton I'm pleasantly surprised the sun is trying to make an appearance on what was supposed to be a grey day...but by heck is it cold. Parking up right next to the reservoir I can see several people already looking at a group of maybe six Coot and in tow is the Scoter, not bad I've only been on site ten minuets !

The Scoter is a little skittish moving away easily getting lost in the large waves whipped up by the strong wind only then to dive to take another ten or so minuets to find again. Again loosing the duck we relocate to the far end of the reservoir where it is eventually found, this time happy to dive and feed reasonably close to the side.

For a brief period we enjoy the appearance of sun which improves the images a little, but they still lack colour on a cold grey day that maybe would be better spent indoors. There's now quite a crowed either watching or trying to get an image of this scares interloper that should be way out at sea rather than appearing on an inland reservoir.

Having managing to get as good a shot as I'm likely to get on the day, I call it a day just as the last of sunlight disappears behind another blanket of grey.

Time to head home warm up with a nice hot drink

Velvet Scoter (possibly juvenile - see last image)

This image below not the best, shows the white underside of the scoter which is a characteristic more often seen in juvenile birds