On Friday 31 May 2024 at around 18:00 hours Stef Strik found a Common Pochard Aythya ferina with a long bill in the Nieuwe Driemanspolder near Zoetermeer ZH, a very bird rich area. He had reasons to believe it was a Canvasback A. valisneria and warned other birders, so c 15 birders made it in time before the bird flew off in northwestern direction at 19:40 hours. It became clear it was a Canvasback and as it showed no rings or wingcliips, it could be a first for the Netherlands. The next day the bird appeared again and was seen most of the day, although it disappeared from time to time. The following day it appeared again, but at around 8:05, it flew away in northwestern direction again, but it remained AWOL at this location.
At around 14:00 it was rediscovered in the Vogelplas Starrevaart, Leidschendam ZH by Pim Steenbergen. There the bird stayed till at least 20 June 2024 and was seen by hundreds of birders. I saw it in the evening of 2 June 2024, after dipping it on 31 May and the morning of 2 June at Zoetermeer ZH.
If accepted, it will be the first record for the Netherlands. In 2003 we already had seen a Canvasback at Castricum NH which returned almost every winter between 2003 and 2008. In January 2008 it was discovered that the bird had an iron clip on its wing, probably the remnants of a patagial tag. However, the Dutch Rarity Committee (CDNA) did not give it the benefit of the doubt and removed this record from the Dutch List.
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