Mandarin Duck

[Arry 18,792]

I was down by the river Dart today and at one point I saw some Mandarin Duck right underneath me on the foreshore. Started to get my phone out but to late they took off about 15 to 20 of them. I've seen the odd one or two before but not seen that many in wild before. 

Are they in the wild in numbers now?

Cheers Arry

[waltjnr 6,007]

34 minutes ago, Arry said:

I was down by the river Dart today and at one point I saw some Mandarin Duck right underneath me on the foreshore. Started to get my phone out but to late they took off about 15 to 20 of them. I've seen the odd one or two before but not seen that many in wild before. 

Are they in the wild in numbers now?

Cheers Arry

Can't wait to see  your plate,presentation to ìts usually standard! Home grown veg ,

[Arry 18,792]

2 minutes ago, waltjnr said:

Can't wait to see  your plate,presentation to ìts usually standard! Home grown veg ,

Given the guns up Walt or else maybe I would try one. 

Cheers Arry

[waltjnr 6,007]

3 minutes ago, waltjnr said:

Can't wait to see  your plate,presentation to ìts usually standard! Home grown veg ,

Love your food Arry ,you make me hungry at oddest times of the day ! 

[shaaark 10,187]

50 minutes ago, Arry said:

I was down by the river Dart today and at one point I saw some Mandarin Duck right underneath me on the foreshore. Started to get my phone out but to late they took off about 15 to 20 of them. I've seen the odd one or two before but not seen that many in wild before. 

Are they in the wild in numbers now?

Cheers Arry

Not the same, but about 200 yards from my house, there's this woman who's back garden is 'chinese themed' and goes right down to my local stretch of the river taff. 

She always feeds the ducks with grain etc every day, and there will be upwards of 60-70 mallards there every time I walk past on the opposite side.

[mackem 23,957]

Shot two mandarin duck when I was a kid on the local river with an airgun,never saw large numbers though,I see a lot of wood duck here which are equally as colourful I think.

[shaaark 10,187]

23 minutes ago, mackem said:

I see a lot of wood duck here which are equally as colourful I think.

Beautiful birds, Mack. 

[paulus 26]

There always used to be one or two Mandarin's knocking about on the local river, Nowadays more likely to see a little egret. 

[Arry 18,792]

8 minutes ago, paulus said:

There always used to be one or two Mandarin's knocking about on the local river, Nowadays more likely to see a little egret. 

There have been a pair in Town hanging around with the Mallards but not seen them in such a flock.

Don't know if this is happening elsewhere.

Cheers Arry

[Blackmag 5,883]

2 hours ago, shaaark said:

Not the same, but about 200 yards from my house, there's this woman who's back garden is 'chinese themed' and goes right down to my local stretch of the river taff. 

She always feeds the ducks with grain etc every day, and there will be upwards of 60-70 mallards there every time I walk past on the opposite side.

I'm the same I feed a few ponds and get plenty of mallard and teal coming but a farm I go on had a pair of Mandarin ducks that were free rein they were knocking on  a bit otters took the pair out same night farmer was gutted 

[mackem 23,957]

4 hours ago, shaaark said:

Beautiful birds, Mack. 

Loads in the swamps here.

 

[eastcoast 3,739]

5 hours ago, mackem said:

Shot two mandarin duck when I was a kid on the local river with an airgun,never saw large numbers though,I see a lot of wood duck here which are equally as colourful I think.

Possible escape's from Washington Wildfowl? All sorts of exotics used to escape but not get established in the wild. Worked there for a short time one school holiday. Got sacked. It was an unpaid job. They had some cool stuff though.

[mackem 23,957]

5 minutes ago, eastcoast said:

Possible escape's from Washington Wildfowl? All sorts of exotics used to escape but not get established in the wild. Worked there for a short time one school holiday. Got sacked. It was an unpaid job. They had some cool stuff though.

It was indeed,a friend of mine got a flamingo,and I had a Hawaiian goose for Sunday roast once.

[eastcoast 3,739]

5 minutes ago, mackem said:

It was indeed,a friend of mine got a flamingo,and I had a Hawaiian goose for Sunday roast once.

A friend of mine talked me into becoming a volunteer with the premise that we could get permission to catch the rats. He already worked there and was stealing eggs. The daft thing is he genuinely loved all the bird stuff. With better upbringing and education he could have become a proper naturalist. 

[mackem 23,957]

2 minutes ago, eastcoast said:

A friend of mine talked me into becoming a volunteer with the premise that we could get permission to catch the rats. He already worked there and was stealing eggs. The daft thing is he genuinely loved all the bird stuff. With better upbringing and education he could have become a proper naturalist. 

What’s he working as now?Back in the late 70’s the worldwide population of the nene was around 200 birds,on the endangered list,I remember thinking mallard tasted nicer.