DUCKS PART 1
“ If it looks like a duck , walks like a duck and sounds like a duck ...” It is an old saying from my days at Oxford University when I was studying architecture - of all things
But is this saying scientifically true ? Even as a Fellow of the Linnean Society where taxonomy is strong , I can usually agree with this description , but what about other people ?
Sometimes I think about this saying when I see mallards roaming in the wildlife garden and diving in the pond at Millstream Fork . Whilst mallards and other dabbling birds have the correct generic name of ducks , all other waterfowl are included in different families , such as geese or swans .
Recently there have been some excellent sightings of dabbling ducks near Millstream Fork . For example , a local friend of mine told me about a rare visitor , the red crested pochard , which is a good tick on any ‘ twitchers ’ list . I went to where he said the pochard was – and I had no difficulty in seeing and identifying the bird . If only all my other wildlife watching was just as easy !
A few weeks later my friend sent me another message about goosanders appearing on the local waterways . These birds are not as rare as the red crested pochard , although they are beautiful , and still a delight to see . But despite their name , they are ducks , not geese .
Goosanders have never been seen inside the Millstream Fork wildlife garden , although I have seen them swimming nearby . Perhaps one reason for this is that goosanders are only winter visitors
Contact Andy on 01895 520184 | email info @ ffes . org . uk | www . ffes . org . uk
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