First Post - Feral wildfowl

Just found a lovely male Wood Duck on the river where the new bridge has just been built. It was probably attracted by the other feral/hybrid ducks and geese there. There is a group of geese on the Teign, 2 Swan Goose X Greylag type things, 2 white farm geese, a domestic Greylag and a weird Canada Goose that tags along with them. I expect the Wood Duck will stay awhile as the ducks there get fed regularly by the local people.

Isn’t he beautiful

On Hackney Marshes, the afternoon sunshine brought the Cetti's Warblers into song, a total of 3 individuals. On the path in-between the car park and the bridge, I finally found the Firecrest which has been there for about a month now. Chiffchaff numbers seem to have increased a bit with about 5 on site.

On the edge of the reed beds on the way up to Passage House there were 4 Water Rails and 6+ Snipe with a few Reed Buntings flying around and a Siskin in the reeds. One of the wintering Common Sandpipers was on one of the muddy banks. It seemed like there was only one bird wintering here up until the cold spell in January, when the cold temperatures must have pushed a couple more down from further up in the country.

I had a look for a possible early Little Ringed Plover at Passage House. Sadly there wasn't one there. Hopefully we might get one in the next couple of weeks.