Birds in Japan

[johnhopkins77]

I attach photos of 2 birds I saw in Hokkaido, N. Japan in January. The duck is, I believe , the bird reported by a group of Brit birders as a Red-crested Pochard..it clearly isn't that species and is either a hybrid or a leucistic Scaup ( I incline towards the latter myself). It was in a large group of Scaup in a partly frozen fishing harbour.

The other bird is clearly a Redpoll sp., but I'm not sure which. It was in a small group of Common Redpolls, but was very much paler...I wonder if it is an Arctic ( Hoary).

Does anyone have any thoughts on these birds?..and apologies in advance if the quality of my pics doesn't help you identify the birds.



John.

[chandan]

Definately not a Red crested pochard.Maybe a hybrid like you said.

[Colin Key]

John,

I see nothing in that duck to suggest even a single chromosome of Red-crested Pochard; your own suggestion of leucistic Scaup seems more likely.

After following the debate on the bird in the West Midlands, I would not dare to stick my neck out regarding the Redpoll sp.

Colin