Hooded Merganser in Fife - of unknown origin

A first-winter or female Hooded Merganser has been present since Sunday 26 October 2008 in Fife. It was on an old boating pond recently converted for wildlife NE of Tayport at Tayport Pond, besides the track between Tentsmuir Point and the Caravan Park at NO 462 285 on at least 26th.

Today the bird has relocated 20 miles away just south of Collessie at the converted gravel pits now known as Gaddon Lochs NR (Fife). This location is adjacent to the Fife Wildlife Park, where both Australian Black Swan and White-cheeked Pintail have escaped from in recent years. Now Fife Wildlife Park did have 3 Hooded Mergansers up until recently but today told local birder Rab Shand that they do not have any (nor ever did). Therefore the origin of the bird is a mystery.

I am hoping to be able to study images of the bird later today to see if it is an adult or immature. We know that the Fife Park birds were adults.