Last Monday it was a Little gull in Cardiff Bay; yesterday a Red-crested pochard at Cosmeston Lakes – I’m already wondering what next Monday might bring.

According to the BTO website, the Red-crested pochard (Netta rufina) usually spends the summer in Europe and central Asia, and overwinters in north Africa, India and Japan. In Britain, where the earliest record of this bird dates to 1818, the population is tiny and originated from birds that escaped captivity.

This particular Red-crested pochard was most likely the bird that was first seen at Kenfig National Nature Reserve on 10 March. It stayed on Cosmeston’s west lake all day Monday, diving often to find weed to munch on and contentedly preening between times. Unfortunately, it remained quite distant so I couldn’t get any decent photos but it was still a treat to watch this handsome exotic visitor.