Green-winged Teal

Local status: Rare vagrant

This dapper American duck was first given species status by the BOU in 2000 and can be picked out by carefully checking flocks of Teal, A. crecca, particularly in the Lower Derwent Valley. There seems to be an even split in records between March-April and
November, which suggests birds only infrequently spend the whole winter in the area and are more often seen when on passage with their European cousins. In common with many ducks, this species seems to be site-faithful and it is possible that single individuals accounted for the records in the periods 1981 to 1983, 1997 to 2001, and 2006 to 2010. The second individuals in these periods and records in other years are likely to be additional birds. All records are of adult drakes but with identification criteria advancing it is possible that the first female may be identified in the near future.

Records:

2022: A male at Newburgh Priory Lake on 9th December

2021: At the beginning of the year a drake was occasionally seen at NDC with the first reports coming on the 3rd (JLe) and 12th January (MN). Presumably the same over-wintering drake returned in March and was present from the 16th to 23rd, re-appearing on the 29th.
In December a drake was on floodwater at Byland on the 29th, with an adult drake present on the River Derwent at Aughton the next day.

2020: A male was found in front of the Andy Booth (Tower) Hide at Wheldrake Ings on 26th January, remaining to 1st February. What was presumed to be the same male was re-found at Bubwith Ings on 16th March and again on 18th. It then moved to Ellerton Ings on the 21st, before moving to NDC on the 24th where it remained to 1st April.

2019: All records came from Wheldrake Ings during January. A drake was present on the 1st, 10th, 11th, and 13th and was re-found on the 25th and 26th.

2018: A drake was at Wheldrake Ings on the 17th and 18th February.
In December a possible hybrid Teal x Green-winged Teal was reported from the Low Grounds on the 2nd while another, more probable, Green-winged Teal was reported on the 13th.

2017: A drake was found on 16th December on the River Derwent at Ellerton

2016: A male was found at Wheldrake Ings on 9th April. It was seen again from the 12th to 20th April. It later reappeared at Ellerton Ings on the 30th.

2015: Wheldrake Ings, 20th December. Male.
2015: North Duffield Carrs, 24th to 25th January. Male.

2011: Newburgh Priory, 17th to 29th March. Male.

2010: North Duffield Carrs, 15th April. Two males, one relocated to Wheldrake Ings, 20th to 22nd April.

2009: Bubwith Ings – North Duffield Carrs, 30th November to 2nd December. Male.
2009: North Duffield Carrs, 6th to 7th April. Male.

2008: Wheldrake Ings, 10th November. Male.
2008: North Duffield Carrs, 27th March ‘for a few days’, then moved to Wheldrake Ings on 22nd April. Male.

2007: Aughton Ings, 16th March. Male.

2006: Aughton and Ellerton Ings, 15th December. Male.
2006: Wheldrake Ings, 10th to 19th March. Male.

2001: North Duffield Carrs, 18th February. Male.

1999: Bank Island, 18th November. Male.

1998: North Duffield Carrs, 28th November and 3rd December. Male.

1997: Wheldrake Ings, 4th April. Male.

1990: Lower Derwent Valley, 14th to 16th April. Male.

1983: Wheldrake Ings, 17th December. Male.

1982: Wheldrake Ings, 1st to 8th November. Male, with a second male on 8th.

1981: Wheldrake Ings, 1st to 4th November. Male