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American Duck???


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I took a walk around Northlands Park Lakes (Basildon) today and saw a duck swimming alongside some Mallards that was a similar size but was completely black except for a white breast down to the waterlne.

 

I tried to look it up on the internet and the only thing that comes close is an American Duck. Is this possible or could it be something else?

 

This is isn't an actual photo of it but one of an American Duck off the net. It's the spitting image.

post-1029-0-73226900-1327418637_thumb.jpg

Edited by Hookey
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Possible but highly unlikely that it is a wild bird.It will probably be an escaped bird but I will speak to a few local birders to see if they know what bird it is

 

Cheers Rob, I went back there today but no sign of it. Then went to Hanningfield Reservoir. I saw Teal, Widgeon, Tufted Duck, Bean Goose (According to the guy in the Hide next to me with a huge telescopic lens camera), Canada Goose, Greylag Goose, Grey Heron, Coot, Moorhen and Mallard. Also walking around saw Wren, Long-Tailed Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Chaffinch, Robin, Carrion Crow, Magpie, Wood Pigeon and Blackbird. Also various Gulls (I'm crap with Gulls).

Edited by Hookey
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To be fair I am very new at this and don't go that often due to work commitments. I definitely fall in to the more keen than knowledgeable category. Last year I mistook a Tufted Duck for a Scaup, I know the difference now. So I have no problem with anyone questioning what I might think I saw.

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To be fair I am very new at this and don't go that often due to work commitments. I definitely fall in to the more keen than knowledgeable category. Last year I mistook a Tufted Duck for a Scaup, I know the difference now. So I have no problem with anyone questioning what I might think I saw.

 

Quite right Hookey, I just enjoy walking in the same habitat as the wild birds, and if I see a rare one so much the better.

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Alan,birding is a serious hobby.

These birds we are talking about are extremely rare if wild.

The majority,like red breasted geese will NOT be wild,especially in parks.The reason the wild ones come to the UK is they follow native Brent geese to these shores when overwintering here,the Brent geese feed on Coastal marshland and the red breasts stay with them.I get frustrated with the experts at times but they really do know what they are talking about,these things if reported wrongly can cost people hundreds of pounds in expenses etc and can lead go some very red faces of those who report them.

 

Hookey,spoke to someone today,this is almost defiantly either a mallard hybrid or an escape,will look into it a bit further for you as you are nice about it

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Mate, I'd go with the Mallard hybrid theory. Strangely enough there was a pure white one with them, along the lines of Peking/Aylesbury duck, but again probably a Mallard Hybrid.

 

Interesting what you said about birders travelling miles at great expense to see a rare bird. They interviewed a guy on TV in Calshott, HANTS last week, who was there for the Spanish Sparrow. He said he would often travel hundreds of miles to see a "Lifer" and had even chartered a plane. He said his hobby cost him a fortune. Because of that, I would always caveat anything I thought I'd seen by highlighting the fact I'm a rookie.

 

Hookey the Rookie. DOH!

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