Scaup are a difficult species to photograph in the wild in the UK by virtue of the fact that they spend the winter offshore well out of camera range.  When I received a tip-off from a colleague that a group of fifty or so were coming close inshore at the mouth of a small burn on the high spring tides, it seemed like an opportunity not to be missed.

The ducks duly arrived at high tide right in front of my bivi hide.

From the hide it immediately became apparent that the chance to drink fresh water from the burn was the attraction for them them so close to land.