Red-crested pochards

The red-crested pochard netta rufina is quite a rarity in the UK, and there is always uncertainty whether they are 'genuine' wild birds or escaped from a collection. To see flocks of over 100 of them on the salt lakes around Lake Neusiedl was a real treat.

The males are very handsome with their bouffon hairdos and bubblegum-pink bills, but the females are delightful too (four males and two females in this picture).