Tufted Duck

A common winter visitor to Chard reservoir & a rare breeder. Winter counts have declined in more recent years.

male tufted duck, baz stevens 93

16/03/26 - "Many". Pair still present on 20/04 & a female on 04/06

1929 - "Winter visitor"

15/06/30 - Pair

20/03/32 - 15 birds

01/04/33 - Approx. 16 birds

30/01/35 - Maximum count of 30 birds. 2 pairs bred this year

12/02/36 - 6 birds

25/03/36 - Maximum count of 20 birds

06/04/38 - 2 or 3 pairs

27/03/39 - 20 birds

10/04/40 - 9 birds

21/04/41 - 6 birds

12/01/51 - Maximum count of 40 birds

04/12/55 - Maximum count of 35 birds

13/12/56 - Maximum count of 71 birds

03/01/57 - 61 birds

20/01/57 - Maximum count of 80 birds

13/12/59 - Maximum count of 125 birds. Record count to date

17/01/60 - Maximum count of 109 birds

. 1962 - "Fewer than normal"

10/07/66 - Female bird with 7 ducklings, having bred this year

17/11/66 - Maximum count of 30 birds

19/03/67 -15 birds

17/12/67 - Maximum count of 31 birds

1968 - 20 birds recorded

19/01/69 - 21 birds. Pair remained until at least 01/05

30/09/71 - Maximum count of 15 birds

1972 - 15 birds in March-April & September-December

10/05/72 - Single male

??/01/78 - 5 birds

??/02/78 - 15 birds

15 remained in March, rising to 17 in April

??/10/78 - 12 birds

??/11/78 - Maximum count of 36 birds

1979 - 20 birds in January-April period. Pair remaining in June

29/09/79 - 42 birds

13/10/79 - Maximum count of 51 birds. Decreasing to only 8 in November-December

??/12/79 - Single bird shot. Ringed as nestling in Lake Engure, Latvia (57.15N, 23.07W) in June of this year

15/03/81 - 26 birds

11/07/81 - Pair with young

09/08/81 - Maximum count of 60 birds

13/02/82 - Maximum count of 35 birds

??/04/83 - 50 birds

??/11/83 - Maximum count of 53 birds

??/02/84 - Maximum count of 31 birds

??/11/84 - 13 birds

17/02/85 - Maximum count of 98 birds

28/12/85 - 30 birds

??/02/86 - Maximum count of 60 birds

??/11/86 - 17 birds

1987 - Maximum count of 39, until 14/04

1987 - 11 birds from November, onwards

1988 - Brood recorded. No winter counts took place?

1989 - Brood recorded

23/07/89 - 32 birds. No winter counts took place?

??/03/90 - 8 birds

??/12/90 - Maximum count of 21 birds

??/02/91 - 25 birds

??/05/91 - Pair present but did not breed

??/12/91 - Maximum count of 53 birds

??/01/92 - Maximum count of 50 birds

??/12/92 - 9 birds

??/01/93 - 35 birds

??/12/93 - Maximum count of 42 birds

??/01/94 - Maximum count of 52 birds

??/12/94 - 46 birds

18/01/95 - Maximum count of 27 birds

01/05/95 - Pair

12/01/96 - Maximum count of 28 birds

27/12/96 - 19 birds

28/01/97 - 11 birds

31/10/97 - Maximum count of 21 birds

06/12/97 - 11 birds

10/01/98 - 15 birds

06/09/98 - 5 birds

05/10/98 - 7 birds, rising to 12 on 12/10

02/11/98 - 28 birds, rising to maximum count of 41 birds on 12/11

11/01/99 - 5 birds. 4 birds on 25/02, 5 on 06/03. Pair present on 26/03 & 26/04

12/06/99 - 3 males

28/09/99 - 12 birds

17/10/99 - Maximum count of 19 birds

19/11/99 - 16 birds

28/12/99 - 6 birds

2000 - Regularly seen throughout the year with max of 40 birds on 30/12 and 31/12

2001 - Recorded on 89 dates with max of 26 on 03/11

2002 - Recorded on 72 dates with max of 26 on 22/10 and 22/11. 3 pairs and some young seen in summer

2003 - Recorded on 74 dates with max of 20 on 10/11

2004 - Recorded on 72 dates with max of 28 on 01/11

2005 - Recorded on 37 dates with max of 18 on 18/04

2006 - Recorded on 59 dates with max of 23 on 16/02

2007 - Recorded on 34 dates with max of 23 on 03/04

2008 - Recorded on 46 dates with max of 16 on 09/10/08 and again on 15/10/08

2009 - Recorded on 100 dates with max of 20 on 27/09/09

2010 - Recorded on 145 dates with max 21 on 09/04 and 20/04

2011 - Recorded on 220 dates with max c.30 on 18/01

2012 - Recorded on 279 dates with max 36 on 27/07

2013 - Recorded on 256 dates with max 31 on 26/11

2014 - Recorded on 256 dates with max 26 on 17/11

2015 - Recorded on 238 dates with max 27 on 03/10

2016 - Recorded on 224 dates with max 44 on 18/01 and also 36 on 17/01 and 37 on 10/04

2017 - Recorded on 257 dates with max 35 on 05/11. 3 young were found on 08/07 which were already a few weeks old, but obviously hatched at the res. The first breeding since 1989.

2018 - Recorded on 179 dates with max 28 on 21/04

2019 - Recorded on 176 dates with max of 23 on 19/03

2020 - Recorded on 171 dates with max of 35 on 05/12. 5 young seen from 01/07 onwards into August

2021 - Recorded on 146 dates with max of 26 on 04/12

2022 - Recorded on 174 dates with max of 21 on 28/03

2023 - Recorded on 196 dates with max of 18 on 03/01