Martin Mere WWT day out (1 Viewer)

I finally managed to presuade the parents that a day out "bird-spotting" was a good idea.
We arrived around 12ish in the afternoon, with the sun and blue skies beaming down on us.
When I entered the place for the first time I was astonished to see how many different species they had on display, from the usual Blue tits, down the the extremely rare white-wing duck.
There were so many species I was out of breath trying to figure out which one was which...
Luckily I had my camera so I took 70 snaps of different birds.
The lake was also full today, from the usual Swans to Black-headed terns (In their winter and summer colours.)
The highlight of the day though was when I saw a Bronze winged duck, and slowly it made its way towards me, and stuck its head out of the railing, I couldnt resist its charm and I let it nibble my finger for a minute lol.
On the way home I saw the usual starlings, and Thrushes, although making our way down a country road there was a Kestrel hovering just next to the bushes from the road, I wish the sun was the other way around though as it would have been a perfect photo opportunity, maybe next time
BTW dont go to Martin Mere when the kids are off school, There little rascals, screamin n shouting (Still trying to get over my headache and stress they caused me lol.)

I 'fondly' remember an AGM of the Lancashire and Cheshire Fauna Society at Martin Mere a few years ago. They had double booked so we were put in a classroom in the middle of the collection pens. Several hundred cub scouts thought it was hilarious to bang on the window and pull faces at us. Never again...

I was at Martin Mere on Wednesday and it was heaving. Saw the Ferruginous Duck there though on the mere. Stephen have you seen it? I'm quite confused - seems to have been reported throughout as a female yet it looked absolute stick-on drake to me, pale eye and everything. Perhaps a first-winter bird that's only now showing its a drake?

Brendan,

No I haven't seen it but the pictures I have seen look like a female. I haven't gone for it as I was told it was last year's bird returning, though that could be a misapprehension of course.

Regards,

Stephen.

Yeah the photos seem to show a fem, like here http://www.birdsonfilm.com/cgi-bin-...gifunction=Search&Category=a&cgifunction=form
My notes don't seem to quite match though, the sun was on it a bit so maybe that influenced but the pale eye particularly doesn't seem to correspond. Must be the same bird that's been around as it was down as being by the In Focus hide that morning and we saw it pretty near there.

Brendan,

Perhaps a male wandered from the collection.

Seriously if it is the first winter female of 2002/3 then it has not been submitted to the BBRC. One of the reasons for this is it was seen to fly into the pens and join the Fudge Ducks in the collection. In all fairness that is not of itself proof of captive origin, as Scaup and Tufties have been seen doing similar things there. Sometimes we'll just never know the truth, but my feeling is it is more likely to be wild than the Red-breasted Goose.

Stephen.