Garganey: Sunday morning and I'm back out watching birds, this time with Dawn an Autumn in tow. We headed over to Manvers Park where a drake garganey has taken up residence with a female mallard.
This duck originates from the flooded fields and swamplands throughout Europe and Asia. A mid-sized duck that can be recognised by it's distinctive white stripe around its eye and the blue and white patches along its wings.
A migratory duck, the breeding birds arrive from March and return from July. Small numbers of non-breeding birds visit on passage migration in spring and autumn. They seldom breed here in the UK.
The bird was showing sensationally well, and was fiercely mate guarding its female mallard, feeding alongs side her and staying close to her at all times. The local birders ares yang its a bird of 'unknown origin' this is birders speak for they think it's a domesticated escaped individual.
The bird is way too friendly, I've seen dozens of garganey and they have all been very flighty, but no body really knows its the right time of year and there is currently a big passages of garganey occurring at the moment.
Either way, it's such a good looking duck, and very enjoyable to spend a few hours with on a sunny Sunday.
