I nearly didn't venture out this morning because I didn't feel very well, which doesn't happen very often, but I'm glad I did because taking pride of the place on Pype Hayes fishing pool was a lone Cape Shelduck, a bird which you are very lucky to see in the 'wild', it's not actually a true wild bird because it is almost certainly an escapee from somebodies private collection, but it was a pleasure to see it all the same. They normally live in Africa and winter in India. It was about a third bigger than a Tufted Duck and had more of a (very loud) honk than a quack, it wasn't hard to miss being a large rusty orangey brown duck, it certainly seemed to fit in with all the Mallard and was keen enough to try some bread.
Birds seen were Blue Tit, Great Tit, Long Tailed Tit, Goldfinch, Robin, Starling, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Redwing, Blackbird, Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Magpie, Woodpigeon, Feral Pigeon, Ruddy Shelduck, Mute Swan, Moorhen, Coot, Tufted Duck, Mallard and Canada Goose.
In the back garden I saw a female Blackcap yesterday but I also saw a female Sparrowhawk on a house opposite, fortunately looking the other way.
No comments:
Post a Comment