A Lesser Scaup at Wilstone Reservor

14th April 2026

On the 2nd April a possible male Lesser x Greater Scaup hybrid was reported at College Lake in Buckinghamshire. It stayed there until the 13th April, but after the first day was always reported as a Lesser Scaup. On the same dayit disappeared a Lesser Scaup was found at Wilstone Reservoir in Hertfordshire, presumably the bird from College Lake, and so far has only been reported as a Lesser Scaup.

On the first day it had been seen near the outflow but had now moved close to the shooting butts and therefore best seen from the hide. Unfortunately it was very distant, a distance of 350 yards as measured on Google Earth.

So I settled down in the hide waiting for the bird to come closer and was able to enoy the support acts of the usual suspects like Little Egret and a pair of Great Crested Grebes.

Also a couple of bonuses were a Stock Dove and a pair of Oystercatchers.

By now the bird had emerged from the trees on the spit and had moved a bit closer so time for some shots.

Well, this was my first visit to Wilstone for a year or so, not helped by the building works. And made even better by a trip down memory lane in the good company of Phil Luckhurst, Laurence Drummond, Sh4rpy and Dave Hutchinson. 

Also good to get Graham White as a year tick who these days is worth 50 points rarity value😊