With the recently published BBRC report containing an accepted Hooded Merganser from Fife last year interest grew in the bird touring Teeside. Like the Fife bird it seems to have a ‘dodgy leg’ suggesting it is the same individual and thus as it has been accepted previously it could potentially go through as a returning bird. The BBRC report comments for this species almost seem to suggest that unless a bird is an obvious escape then one should make up their own mind. At the moment we have decided to keep this species in italics but expect it to be upgraded if BBRC once more give it the nod. Although it is spending most of it's time north of the Tees it has now been inside the Yorkshire boundary on a couple of occasions and a small number of Yorkshire listers have already made the pilgrimage. No doubt it will prove increasingly popular if it returns.

Hooded Merganser. Hemlington, Garry Taylor