On Saturday 5th December 2020, Tony Donaldson found a drake Bufflehead at the Quoile Pondage, Co Down.
The identification of the bird was straightforward and was clearly a male. It was seen well throughout December but was always at a distance. It was last seen on the 9th January 2021. Whilst a drake, it should be noted that many GB records that have been accepted are also drakes.
Bufflehead breeds in Canada east to western Qubec, Alaska and south to Washington and Montana.
At the time that the bird was seen there were three accepted records for Ireland (a female, The Gearagh, Cork, 18th January to 8th March 1998, a first-year male, Lough Atedaun, Clare, 6th January to 4th March 2007 and an adult female, Ballinacarriga Lake, Cork, 26th November to 15th December 2018). Another Bufflehead (a female or immature), was also seen in Cork during the autumn \ winter of 2020\21.
Drake Bufflehead, Quoile, Tony Donaldson:
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