Duck

Nesting herons, Alexandra Park

The first bank holiday of the year was bright and sunny so I kept my head down yesterday to avoid the crowds.

Another bright, sunny day today but I didn't want to waste it so I decided to bob over to Alexandra Park for what would probably be the last look at the ring-necked duck before her migrating instinct kicked in and she headed back Northwest. She'd been reported as being present and correct yesterday but today there were reports of her not being around either at Alexandra Park or Platt Fields. 

Undaunted, I walked into Stretford, got the 150 bus, walked down to Alexandra Park and found a few tufties, a handful of mallard, a couple of mute swans and rather a lot of pigeons but no ring-necked duck. It looked like just the one heron's best was occupied, too.

It was too busy to linger so I walked down to Platt Fields to see if she was there. There were a few dozen tufted ducks on the lake but no ring-necked duck here either. She disappeared for a couple of days last month so she may be back this week (or even tomorrow) but as some point she'll be off for good, though she may be back next Winter if we're lucky.

I didn't linger at Platt Fields either. I stopped off on my way home to buy more sunflower seeds and suet blocks for the gannets in my back garden. 

A new woodpigeon has arrived in the garden. I know it's a new bird because it's obviously different to the others: its flight feathers and tail are pure white. The first time it turned up this morning I couldn't work out what it was, I didn't get a good look because it only stopped long enough to chase another woodpigeon out of the Rowan tree and off over towards the station. It was back for a couple of minutes this afternoon, ducking immediately into the conifers the moment I got my camera in focus on it. Better luck next time!