Whilst birding the Waste Water Lake in the very early morning I saw four Ferruginous Ducks fly in and land on the water. The birds were at quite some distance and did not allow me to approach before flying. Luckily they flew straight towards me and circled around and landed back on the far end of the pond. Hopefully they will stay for a while as this is a safe place for them as no hunting is allowed. The Ferruginous Duck is an uncommon passage migrant, winter visitor and a rare breeder with most birds occurring from September to April. The species is currently listed as Near Threatened and prefers shallower and more vegetated areas than other Aythya species and seldom sits out on open water. Sightings have been increasing in recent years, but they remain uncommon. The colour of these birds is beautiful especially when the sun is shining on them.
