Tufted Duck (Aythya fuligula)

Status at Longham Lakes

Common resident, one of the few species invariably seen on every visit. Significant numbers winter, and even more significant numbers now breed.

Breeding:
2010: Remarkably, the first ever breeding records were on Longham Reservoir South in July. On 19th, 3 females with families, one with 11 ducklings. On 23rd there were no less than 9 females with a total of 54 young.
2011: Female with 9 small chicks, 14th and 17th June. On 24th June 3 broods of 10, 9 and 11 (Trevor Thorpe).On 29th June 3 broods of 9, 7 and 6 chicks (22), with broods on 7 and 10 seen on 5th July. Things soon exploded again, with at least 90 young on 24th July and at least 84 on 30th, then an amazing 118 chicks/young counted on 15th August.
2012: Broods spotted on 19th August of 11, 6, 4 and 18 (39 in all). (Robin Trundle and Trevor Thorpe). On 20th August George Green estimated 50 chicks in 8 broods, one female with 23 chicks.
2013: Young reported on 26th April (LB). On July 30th, aggregations of 8, 7, 5 and 29 (49 in all) – meanwhile Alan Pearce reported broods of 8, 8 and 12 “over the last three weeks”. On 2nd August there were 125 young in 10 different units. On 25th August George Green confirmed 120+ young. On 2nd October a raft of 110 Tufted Ducks looked like the young of the year.
2014: Two creches of 13 and 30 young on 18th July (Trevor Wilkinson), then 89 newly hatched chicks on 20th (Trevor Thorpe), about 140 chicks in 9 groups/creches (range 2-52) on 21st (George Green) and 136+ on 24th, all of about the same age. 120 remained on 24th.
2015: 60 ducklings were seen on 14th July with 7 adults, then 130 young were counted on 25th (Lorne Bissell). On 28th July a single creche of 53 were seen attended by 2 adults.
2016: Estimated 35 pairs on LR North and 96 pairs on LR South on 19th May (Steve Morrison). Brood of 4 on 15th July (Martin Wood); broods of 5,2 and 2 on 24th July (Trevor Thorpe); brood of 4 on 18th August (Trevor Wilkinson)

Maximum numbers per month: