Rare duck winters on Minster Marshes

A rare Long-tailed duck has been spotted wintering on one of the dykes on Minster Marshes. This illustrates just how important this habitat is for our wildlife.

The RSPB describes the duck below:

The Long-tailed Duck is a small, neat sea duck. They have small round heads and steep foreheads. In winter, the male is mainly white with some brownish-black markings. It also has greatly elongated tail feathers which give it its name. Females are browner. When in flight, they show their all dark wings and white bellies. They don't breed in the UK, but protection of their wintering sites is important, because they're vulnerable to oil pollution at sea. They're a winter visitor and passage migrant to the UK, most commonly from Northumberland to northern Scotland. Long-tailed Ducks are listed as a Schedule 1 species under The Wildlife and Countryside Act.

Video: Keith Ross