A drake long-tailed duck is currently on Swavesey Lake - very convenient for me to see on my way from the office to watch the starling roost at Holywell Lake yesterday afternoon. Long-tailed ducks are usually found in coastal waters around the northern parts of the UK, so a small lake in Cambridgeshire is not where you'd expect to see one. It is many years since anyone saw one here, and well worth a look. He was still there this morning.
The duck can be seen from the path alongside Covell's Drain, at the western end of the lake, usually on his own, rather than mixing with the other ducks there. Look out for lapwings and snipe feeding in the marshy edges, great crested and little grebes out on the open water, and perhaps a little egret or grey heron at the edge.
The starling roost is still going well - you can watch it from the car park (arrive by 3.15pm), or online, at http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/s/starling/roosting.aspx