For the last couple of weeks some unusual visitors have been spotted in the river at Beccles Quay, a pair of Scaup who have been occasionally accompanied by a third bird. The Scaup is a predominately sea going duck only rarely seen inland and usually at distance but the two birds at Beccles are certainly disproving this description regularly coming within 20 yards of the bank giving very good views. Both birds appear to be female or immature examples which can be seen by the mainly brown plumage with white face patches which are more obvious in one of the pair. Adult males are much more distinctive having a black/green head and neck with a white and grey body.
These duck nest in Iceland, Scandinavia and northern Russia on the ground near to water and feed mainly on shellfish such as mussels but they will also take plant matter too which they get by diving. In the winter the birds migrate to the coasts of north west Europe where they may remain until March although some immature birds stay on their wintering grounds all year. Countless observers have been amazed by how confiding the Beccles birds have been and as of today they are still around the quay area.
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