This was rather of a surprise find on my lunchtime saunter around Broom GP today - a Marbled Duck!
Being found just a day or two after 20 Spanish Glossy Ibis have turned up in Devon, you might think this bird had potentially got good credentials? Initially it seemed very 'wild', keeping to the other side of the pool to us, and hiding deep in reed. However by the time I got back to the pits in the evening, it was rather more showy.
Aging this bird isn't easy. However, after some reading I think perhaps this bird is an adult female - based mainly on the small crest, prominent large round spots on its flanks, coverts, and scaps, and the fairly dark eye mask.
While preening on the bank it dropped a single feather. So when it swam out in to the middle of the pool I went and grabbed it. Wonder if I can get some isotope analysis done on it?
Hi Steve, this looks very much like the one we had at Westport Lake, Stoke on Trent in June, check out my blog www.westportlake.blogspot.com
ReplyDeletego to archive and click on June you will find plenty of photo's there of the said bird, it was about for a few weeks before heading to South Stoke (Nr Trentham) and then later the next month (I think) was seen at Belvide, Staffs
Cheers Chris.