Alexandra Park - 17.10.21
Having seen a report and a few images of a North American male Wood Duck in a local park I thought it was an opportunity not to miss as seeing these "feral" ducks is an uncommon sight around the UK.
Not unlike the Mandarin Duck but less common the Wood Duck popular in wild fowl collections with escapees breeding in the wild that's assuming both male and female manage to find each other, the only place I know currently being one of the valleys in South Wales.
It's a couple of years since my last encounter with this species so I know exactly what I'm looking for, a quick circumnavigation of the lake and it's found associating with a female Mallard, very approachable and not at all fazed by a park run and generally people out for a walk, all thats needed is little patience for the duck to move to some nice coloured water and it's job done.
Although not accepted on the official UK breeder list it's always good to catch up with something more unusual especially if its not brown !
Wood Duck - male
Tufted Duck -female
Also present were a few Tufted Duck
