Blog

Common Pochard

Common Pochard

Though familiar, we mostly tend to see wild Common Pochard (Aythya ferina) in winter. Populations from the breeding grounds in the steppes seek refuge in our slightly less harsh climate.

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Magpie Ducks lookingup

Bird brains and beady eyes

Birds use their large, prominent eyes to search for food and detect predators. They can see objects in fine detail two-and-a-half to three times farther away than people can, and their

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Are you a webbie?

 What would you call a bunch of enthusiasts who love ducks, geese and swans? We are paddling into the competition season with a search for a brilliant word. Comment on

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Mute swan stretching

The right thing to do

As a hgv driver, Rupert Stephenson’s day job takes him to many places, one of those last week was Stratford upon Avon. ‘I was emptying bins along the river area,

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White-headed Duck tail up

Black and Blue

The colours we see can sometimes be just an illusion. The White-headed Duck’s bill is bone, supporting a thin layer of living tissue which is then covered again with a

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Mandarin drake

Word Play

No harm in a little eye-candy from time to time! The magnificent Mandarin is back in his breeding finery for most of us, including some finely-marked feathers on his flanks.

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Male Musk Duck swimming

Something to say

News of a talking duck is not new, but the Australian Musk Duck Biziura lobata is a recent subject. The repertoire of this species includes many sounds that the birds

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Magellanic Sreamerduck

No messing

The sharp, horn-covered bony projection on the wrist joint of some waterfowl is known as the Carpal spur. It is there for fighting! The Magellanic Steamerduck (Tachyeres pternes) and the

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Pekin Duck

Plump and pleasing

One of our most popular show classes is the heavy Pekin Duck. We regularly attract a large number of entries and hope to see some of these great birds at

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Wild or just escaped?

The stunning Baikal Teal (Sibirionetta formosa) is a firm favourite for many, but it’s only a generation or 2 since it was considered difficult to breed and so commanded a

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