Seen on a recent visit to WWT Martin Mere, the pintail is a winter visitor in most parts of the UK. The pointed tail makes recognition easy, even for me. Size is a bit larger than a mallard.

The featured image looked like it would be superb on a beautifully sunny afternoon, low sun, but of course the sun was in the wrong place, so you can’t see the eye.

Better luck with this shot including a nearby shelduck, but then the pintail is a bit bleached with the strength of the sun.

Disgracefully, the pintail can be shot in UK in the winter, despite Amber conservation status. It is claimed that numbers hold up despite this. Sometimes I despair of some of my human fellows.