A crazy Long-tailed Duck in Peckham today

The day started with apathy, turning over when the alarm went off as I saw the bright sunshine coming through the curtains. Sunny weather usually means nothing at Crossness, but eventually I rose and got my sorry butt out there. And nothing was what I got, unsurprisingly given the sunshine and time of year. Well, I head a Mediterranean Gull somewhere above and a couple of scummy looking Yellow-legged Gulls dragged their sorry selves along the Thames foreshore. John A also found a Green Hairstreak, a first for the site which was nice enough.

Back in Rotherhithe, large gulls peaked at 125 on Greenland Dock including a NTGG ringed bird. And that was it, so I thought. But while doing the weekly shop in Tesco, I got an email saying that a local guy had seen what he thought was a Long-tailed Duck on the small lake at Peckham Rye Park yesterday. And the photo attached showed he was right... so after a couple of hours of chilling, Karen and I made our way  the 10 minutes or so there. Easy enough, there it was straight away just chilling out on the lake though outrageously unseasonal, but a full set of wings and no leg rings suggest its occurrence is just one of those things. John A arrived a short while later and we both papped this confiding bird, though the bright sunlight and dark water ensured too much glare unfortunately.

Long-tailed Duck - favouring a park lake in Peckham over the Arctic. Total madness!