Our birding adventure this weekend started with an early start! We were ready and heading east at 0500hrs for a dash over to Brough, in the East Riding of Yorkshire. A rare duck from North America had turned up and was showing well. In fact, it was a pair of ducks - Blue winged Teal that had arrived in a small wetland area not too far from Hull.
There’s a back story to this pair – it seems they arrived together in 2023 both showing signs of being immature birds. One had dark reddish eyes (only appearing reddish when viewed at close range and in good light), while the other had black eyes. This was a pretty good indication that the duo consisted of a male and a female. They were regularly seen in the shallow south marshes and also the silt lagoons, part of the Yorkshire Water treatment works process.
Many seem to think they tried breeding in Spring 2024 but no confirmation of any success – this pair is more than likely the same pair and hopefully they’ll ‘have another go’ this year and be successful! I searched around and couldn’t find and any breeding records so I think it would be a first for the UK if they did breed.
Obviously they are far away from their usual haunts. During the summer months, they can be found throughout North America, from southeastern Alaska to the Atlantic coast. They are found in as far south as the Gulf Coast of Texas and Louisiana. In the winter months they migrate to the southern parts of the U.S. and into Central and South America. Freshwater habitats for blue-winged teal include shallow ponds and wetlands. During breeding season, blue-winged teal remain near the water's edge in ponds and wetlands, preferring to breed in areas of calm, sluggish water. These two were doing exactly that – both with their heads tucked in close to the waters edge.
We spent a good couple of hours watching them and our patience eventually paid off as both ducks deciding they’d had enough rest and heads up began moving around the small wetland. Marcus digiscoped the pair and got some cracking video and I got some pretty decent shots.
It was well worth the early rise and we were on our way back home around 0930hrs both very pleased with ourselves for a cracking mornings birding!
On the ponds in the woodlands up here in Haigh our resident ducks are well into their breeding season with mallards now resident on most of our woodland ponds. One pair of stunning ducks have ‘gone dark’ and have become very secretive is the Mandarin pair that frequent usually the Swan Pond. This species actually nests in trees – in holes large enough for the female to sit and incubate the eggs. So I’ll need to keep an eye out and see if I can find the nest hole!
The Chiffchaffs and willow warblers have arrived and are bringing their voices to the swelling dawn chorus. The clocks ‘springed forward’ last night which means a darker morning start for a while but lovely long evenings of daylight.