Not so wild fowl...

 Caught up in the Bluethroat moment I forgot to blog about some other good patch birds seen recently.  When I say 'good' before I go on, remember its all relative. No wonder I forgot about them...

Lets get this one out of the way first as it is as rare as the Bluethroat on patch. A full new species in fact. On the 12th I was walking Peggy along the coast road first thing when I noticed a 'Greylag' coming low towards me from the north. Meh.... I'm not sure what made me raise the bins, maybe it was the white looking leading edge to the wings, I don't know, but a genuine frisson of excitement came when I saw that this was no Greylag goose.

It was NU2517's first Egyptian Goose.  It is many years since an Egyptian Goose received such a long gaze as this one from me as it called and eyeballed me on the way past...

I'm not sure when one of these will grace the pages of my sketchbook again, but it is a full patch tick so...

A pale headed male Yellow Wagtail flying around a little further on could have been a 'Channel' Wagtail but it soon flew north. 

The tropical flavour was still with us last Wednesday when a drake Mandarin spent a couple of days on the pond. This is the third here in recent years, so still in the Rare category for the patch. The only individual I've managed to get a photo of on site too...

Mandarin.

Blog reader numbers have dropped a bit recently, and those two might be the nail in the coffin, but come on, they all count as natives. With this run of good luck what next, Ring necked Parakeet ?

Other than these, a calling Cuckoo a few times just west of us remains elusive though I did hear it from the garden the other morning. 

Still not quite caught up, but Sundays walk will get a new post later...  

 

Pre-Fool Ducks.

On Friday, after work, April Fools Eve, I felt it appropriate to call in at DBCP to see the pair of Mandarin Ducks at the boat ramp. Just like the Ferruginous Duck, these were fully wild birds, timid and unringed and as such they will be cheerfully added to the year list. No fool here...

While carefully stalking such wild quarry, my first two Sand Martins of the year twittered over head...

Likely, the colourful little tree ducks will be gone now, to continue their spring passage, somewhere.

On Reflection....

After a tip off from a work colleague, I called in to Warkworth Lane Caravan Site first thing this morning to check out the two drake Mandarins that have been here for the last three days. One was very vocal and kept flying around the pond, while the other was more relaxed. In the morning sunshine they looked a real vision of colour, its just a pity I could get them both in shot together...

Quite scarce birds, Mandarins, up here and with a mystery provenance but what show stoppers they are regardless of their status. I love them!