A Very Confusing Duck

Another walk through the woods and around the pool at Stanton Park today. There was certainly a difference in temperature from last Friday's Arctic blast. In fact it was that warm that a few Honey Bees were out at the apiary.

A few Honey Bees out in the warm sunshine

Other changes were an increase in Mallard numbers on the frozen pool, which is just starting to show signs of thawing out. Along with additional Mallards there was a very unusual duck which could be a cross between a Mallard x Muscovy, Aylesbury x Muscovy Duck, Chocolate Magpie x Muscovy, or a Chocolate Magpie x Mulard. A Mulard is a cross between a female Pekin and a male Muscovy. All very confusing. However to draw a line under this I'm going to go for Chocolate Magpie x Mulard. I could be wrong of course, but certainly open to alternatives! More on Mulards and Magpies Here. plus a good photo of a Chocolate Magpie Here.

I'm going for a Chocolate Magpie x Mulard

He's certainly got a good pink beak for a Muscovy hybrid

Also on the pool a lot of Black-headed Gulls and one or two Moorhen. A Water Rail called out from the main reed bed which I wasn't expecting and whilst all this was going on on the pool, overhead a Sparrowhawk went into a stoop whilst a Buzzard called out as it drifted over the fields to the north.

An adult winter Black-headed Gull

A mixture of 1st winter and adult Black-headed Gulls

Well away from the icy water, this Moorhen was on a branch in the pool on the right hand side of the main track up from the car park.

Overhead a snap shot of a Sparrowhawk in a dive...........

......whilst this Buzzard soared overhead, calling as he did so.

And I couldn't resist getting down and getting and getting a close-up of the Snowdrops now out.

Birds Recorded: 3 Mute Swan, Mallard, Chocolate Magpie x Mulard, Sparrowhawk, Buzzard, Pheasant, Water Rail, Moorhen, 80+ Black-headed Gull, Wood Pigeon, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Pied Wagtail, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, 20+ Redwing, Long-tailed Tit, Marsh Tit, Coal Tit, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Nuthatch, Wren, Magpie, Rook, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, Starling, Goldfinch.

Also Honey Bees out.