*** Thanks to Tim Ford from Aigronne Valley Wildlife for sorting out my sloppy identification and pointing out the difference between a ruddy duck and a ruddy shelduck.
Apologies to Tim B for not listening when he clearly told me that it was a ruddy shelduck! ***
There were some beautiful mandarin ducks posing on the rocks.
It was great fun to watch the ruddy shelduck chase the bar headed goose.This happened not just once, but four times in the few minutes we stood to watch. The ruddy shelduck would chase the goose to the far end of the pond, at which point the goose would 'give the duck the slip', paddle back to the shallows and climb on to the nesting area. This would be spotted by the ruddy shelduck who would paddle like mad back to the nesting area. It would then make a honking noise to chase the goose back to the far end of the pond. The whole game of chase would start again!
Simple things and all that...
