unknown duck

[Billy]

I saw this just the one on its own, what is it ive never seen one before...

[Catherine]

Billy, I think they're Red Crested Pochards. Check here;
The RSPB: Red-crested pochard

[Billy]

ohh ace thankyou ive never seen one of these before, he was cool,

would this be the wife?

[Catherine]

I don't think so, Billy. It looks more like a Shoveler to me, but I'm not positive. Check this page and you may find it there. The pic is a bit dark so I'm not sure of its colours!;
The RSPB: Birds by family: Swans, ducks and geese

[Chocky]

The first one is definitely a red Crested Pochard
The second looks like the female shoveler both as Catherine say

[gareth_blockley]

The first bird is Red-crested Pochard but the second bird is Common Pochard (a 1st winter drake I believe).

Gareth

[Chocky]

I did think that Gareth but the colour through me off . Well done .

[Catherine]

It's quite like the female one here;
http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/bird...rd/index.aspx#

There are so many species of Ducks, aren't there?

[joe]

Billy if you look at my post in this section there is a picture of male and female.
Joe

[ladylouise62]

A request.

Since this is an ID thread, it might help those of us who don't know the birds so well to "show your workings out" (as the maths teachers would say), espcially if it's an issue about looking like other birds. For instance, once it was decided to be a Common Pochard, Beryl said that she had previously thought so, but changed her mind because of the colour - that would be a useful thing to know as it shows us ignoramuses what the processes are to establish ID.

Ta.

[gareth_blockley]

It's quite like the female one here;
The RSPB: Pochard

Of course yeah, it's a female

A first winter should have moulted through by now so it's definately not a male.

Gareth

[joe]

The obvious difference between the pochard and red crested pochard is the bill colour. the red crested has a red bill while the pochard has a black/grey one.