Gadwall Mareca strepera
Fairly common though localised breeding species and winter visitor. Numbers have increased since the 1980s.
Gadwall: left, Marston STW May 27th 2009 (Dave Morison); centre, Barton Pits March 6th 2013 (Graham Catley); right, Grainthorpe April 10th 2016 (Mark Johnson).
Gadwall only started to summer in Lincolnshire from the beginning of the 1970s, having formerly been winter visitors from Germany. They began breeding more frequently in the 1980s and the Atlas estimated the breeding population at 50 pairs and a wintering population of 400 birds in the late 1980s growing to 850 in winter by 1996. It has since become much more widespread in the 10 years to 2019. BBS data for England suggests the population has tripled since 1994 and it is likely that the breeding population is now in the region of 150 to 200 pairs. LBR reports indicate the wintering population is now over 1,200 birds.
(Account as per new Birds of Lincolnshire (2021), included September 2022)