About Me

My photo
London, United Kingdom
This blog will contain pictures and information from my everyday encounters with nature in London and the surrounding areas. I will log details of the origin of each photograph thus recording what there is to be seen and where it was seen. I very much welcome anyone else who can upload photos and information about nature in London and the home counties. I work freelance in the film industry so have plenty of days off. I hope to update Monday to Friday and once on the weekend posting at around 19.30, I don't post on bank holidays

Wednesday 13 April 2011

Mandarin Duck (Aix galericulata)


Dulwich Park pond 11/4/11
As the name suggests this duck derives from the east, Russia, China and Japan to be specific. The population in Britain derives from escaped captives and is currently estimated, by the RSPB to stand at about 7,000 pairs. These ducks are quite common in Britain and don’t attract much attention from birders but actually Britain’s Mandarin population may actually prove quite important as numbers in the east are low. As you can see, this pair were mating or as the imaginative mother standing next to me replied when her child asked what they were doing; ‘He’s keeping his wings dry’. I think the male owns some of the most spectacular plumage you’ll see on a bird in Britain. They are quite common in ponds in South England and London

No comments:

Post a Comment