A Ring-necked Duck at Abberton Reservoir

23rd August 2026

First stop was the Layer Breton causeway where many ducks in eclipse plumage were roosting, and the only passerines were Pied Wagtails.

Common Tern numbers were now well down suggesting that many had already started their journey back to their wintering quarters.

I have been coming to Abberton since the late 1960s and have never realised up to now just how shallow the water is West of the Layer Breton causeway. Of course the water is low at the moment due to the heatwave and lack of rain, which had dropped the level to 18" below the top of the weir. So much so that this Heron was able to stand in the water in the middle of the reservoir, suggesting the maximum depth of the water is just four feet.

And of course today it is not only Herons that feed in the water but also plenty of Great White Egrets..................

....................and Spoonbills.

No idea what was happening here but one or two got quite frisky.

 

Also my first Layer Breton Ruff of the year which as usual was very obliging.

I then went to the North-west corner of the Layer de la Haye causeway to see if the Ring-necked duck was around. No luck there but there were a couple of Reed Warblers feeding around the base of the Phragmites reed bed in the corner.

At that point the Pectoral Sandpiper had been re-located in Wigorough Bay, so off to see how distant it was. And yes it was distant, almost on the limit of a telsecope let alone a camera, so I had to make do with a slightly less distant Whinchat.

Now back on the Layer Breton causeway where the female Ring-necked Duck had been found asleep on the bank. Only a few photos as it didn't do too much.

But it did bring an unexpected bonus as standing next to it were two Garganeys, one of which is shown on the left.

And if you needed any more proof of identification one of them provided a wing stretch!!!

Well, as I've said many times before, Abberton never disappoints.