Thank you, but I think you over-estimate my abilities. These are the two September birds that you mention in your initial post (2023 and 2024). It is almost like I am looking out for a completely different bird! A bit more reading for me, I think!

Ok, yes, rump colour is a good clue. I will have to change my search criteria as I may be passing birds over that look like this one.

Ummh - separation in autumn is very tricky. IMO - the grey on flanks and chest is problematic, I would expect head to be cleaner with grey extending onto the forehead and there seems to be dark centres to some lower mantle feathers. Borderline but I think this is Pied.

In Northumberland, we get on average 30-40 per year on the coast county-wide, but numbers fluctuate. However, inland birds are much more uncommon and so not surprised that one in Cambridgeshire got people interested.

Today, 38 empty Fosters cans placed neatly back in the boxes and then dumped under a tree at Amble Links - At least they were easy to remove but it does make me angry! (Although if I had finished 38 cans, I probably wouldn't be able to locate a bin either!)

Friday. Three days ago.

The colour ring is still present but it has slipped down onto the foot. This has made one leg non-functional. As a result it doesn't show often as the bird is usually sitting down. If it follows the regular pattern, Casper will be here until mid Sept. Winter in Calais and back to Poland to breed.

And this is what her ducklings now look like! At least 4 surviving out of the 8 but others may have been hidden. Good luck with ID when they arrive on your local duckpond!