Exotic Duck

[Jazz]

Saw a male Mandarin Duck yesterday in Northumberland Park, North Shields. Went back today to take a photo but it had gone. Introduced from China and now wild in UK....not many in northern UK so lucky to see it! ........what a colourful bird.....made all the Mallards & Moorhens look very drab! This duck looks very pleased with itself.....why not with all that bling! ;D

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[Shadow]

Thats a gorgeous looking duck Jazz

Its strange tho how people take for granted their own native birds but are entranced by something they havent seen.

I remember being captivated by wild parakeets I think they were in Vondel Park Amsterdam when I visited years back-couldnt get over seeing wild green birds flying about whereas the Dutch people just saw them as regular birds.

And I remember working with an Australian guy in London in my first job as a support worker calling me into the kitchen to ask me about this fabulous bird he could see out the kitchen window-he couldnt get over the amazing colouring and beauty of it.It was a Starling and I had seen thousands of them-both in my parents garden and late evenings in Newcastle as they came to roost and the noise was deafening as we waited in Marlboro Crescent bus station to go home after one of my mams shopping trips.

I saw them through new eyes after that-my dad used to describe them like beggars at the door but writing this it strikes me how rarely I see them now-and it was Australian Tony who taught me to appreciate the birds we have in this country

[Ann1]

My cousin who lives in Canada, quite often has these in his garden, Patsie probably does as well

Red Cardinal

Blue Jay

I saw them when I was over there, and couldn't believe my luck!! They said they came to the garden quite often!!!

[Jazz]

When I was down in Kent there was a nunnery with large grounds next to where I worked. They had a large flock of green parrots living there and roosting in the trees.... apparently, this is fairly common down on the south coast.

By the way that Mandarin Duck came back to Northumberland Park for about a week then left.....probably couldn't stand all the unwanted attention its colourful plumage attracted from people.

[Shadow]

Doesnt nature just blow your socks off sometimes-you get us lot developing various synthetics to stick in our boobs,lips and bottoms then you see something totally natural and totally beautiful

[patsie]

Yes Ann - lovely to be reminded about the Cardinals and Blue Jays - although it seems lately that there are not as much of them around. Can't say I miss the noise from the Blue Jays though We also don't seem to see as many squirrels or racoons around lately. Wierd or what?