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Ooooo-er.....(x2) (1 Viewer)

Ruby

Well-known member
Entered the Twilight Zone today.... The duck was at Oare Marshes and the goose at Harty Ferry.

I guessing they might both be domestics/escapees??
 

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Ruby,

The duck is a Chiloe Wigeon, a native of S America / The Falklands. Found one myself on the loose recently.

The goose looks like a hybrid of some kind.

Stephen.
 
Hi Stephen,

Thanks for that.....

Do you reckon that the Chiloe Wigeon is just one of a relatively small number of escapees though, ie they haven't yet achieved the status of Mandarin Duck or Parakeet, in that they are yet to establish a breeding population here in the UK??

The goose looked like it belonged in someone's farmyard!!
 
Hi Ruby,I saw the same 'wigeon' type as you on Friday,made notes and forgot all about it!
After Stephen's ID,I remembered Lancey making a similar ID not long ago.
I was looking for the Garganey at the time,which has been seen since,but I couldn't find it and didn't meet anyone else who did on that morning.
 
Ruby,

Yes, that sums it up very well. I don't know if Chiloe Wigeon have ever bred in the 'wild' in Britain, someone else on Bird Forum doubtless will.

Only 5 were reported on WeBS counts in the whole of Britain in 2000/1, this probably overstates their rarity as not everyone reports escapes but does show they are relatively infrequent.

Stephen.
 
Grousemore said:
Hi Ruby,I saw the same 'wigeon' type as you on Friday,made notes and forgot all about it!
After Stephen's ID,I remembered Lancey making a similar ID not long ago.
I was looking for the Garganey at the time,which has been seen since,but I couldn't find it and didn't meet anyone else who did on that morning.

Hi Trevor,

Was that at Oare too?? If so, there was at least one Garganey there yesterday - a kind chap pointed it out to me. It wasn't easy to see, being hunched up fast asleep - it was on the scrape to the East of the new hide, but could best be viewed from the sea-wall over by the sluice gate.

Doesn't sound like the Chiloe Wigeon is a tickable bird just yet - which is a shame - but I did have a great day yesterday and saw two life ticks.... The aforementioned Garganey and also a Whimbrel, as well as quite a lot of notable (for me anyway!!) other birds such as Avocet, Yellow Wagtail, Curlew, Marsh Harrier, Wheatear, Greenshank.

A great day out in the sunshine....
 
Yes Oare,Ruby.
You did better than me then;although I've seen Garganey before,for some reason I seemed determined to see the reported one at Oare.I was there at 7 am and had a really good scope around,but to no avail. I spoke to others who also had not seen it,so made me feel a bit better!Couldn't find the Water Pipit either.
Plenty of consolations though,close up Sedge Warbler and Bearded Tit,a Ruff,Pintail.Whimbrel and a fairly certain Little Stint,amongst a small group of Dunlin,although others near by didn't notice it and it had gone pretty quickly.
 
Grousemore said:
Yes Oare,Ruby.
You did better than me then....

Don't know about that - I'm feeling just a bit jealous looking at the birds YOU saw....

Isn't Oare a great place.... You mentioned Little Stint and Bearded Tit - I've only been lucky enough to see each of these ones, both at Oare!

Funny you should mention Water Pipit....I was looking at a bird, which the person I was chatting to at the time id-ed as a Water Pipit. Have to say that I can't see it myself, but there again my id skills are not up to much... Just looking in my book, I think it looks more like a Skylark than anything else, but am probably wrong!!

What do you reckon??
 

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Yes,Ruby,always enjoy Oare.
The bearded Tits were in the reeds just short of the new hide,whilst walking along the sea wall.
Looks like that was a skylark in your pic,but I've been contradicted a bit too much lately to be too bullish!
ps have you seen Robin M's post re a possible BF meet at Oare?
 
Nice pic...to me it looks more (according to my trusty Collins guide!) like a Water Pipit. Doesn't seem to have the crest of a Skylark - unless it was flattened down at the time?
No doubt one of our bird id experts will be along soon to sort it out for us...bearing in mind that I have NOT seen a water pipit yet hence my not being 100% on the id! Lots of Rock Pipit where I do most of my birding though!

GILL
 
Hi Trevor,

Yes I did see the post about the get-together at Oare/Elmley.... really fancied that but unfortunately can't make it....

That weekend, I am away on a camping trip with (more-or-less) non-birding friends and have already pursuaded them to join me on a guided trip round Stodmarsh on BH Monday.

Such a shame.... maybe we could organise something for another time, as I know that quite a few of us get to Oare quite regularly....
 
Where's Jane or Michael when we need 'em? Personally I'm not very good at LBJ's...I try not to look too hard at them...FAR too stressfull!!!
Look on the bright side though guys...we've got it down to just three species LOL

GILL
 
Last I heard Jane was off to feed the ducks...Michael's probably stuck up a tree in the Kielder Forest...someone will be along soon,Im sure.
 
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