The gouse Posted April 1, 2018 Report Share Posted April 1, 2018 Well this morning doing my rounds feeding cows opened the gate under a oak tree and two duck flew out off it. Never seen ducks like these before they had ruby red heads with white stripes and about the same size as mallard duck. Never thought ducks land in trees so had to google it! It appears they where wood ducks? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDog Posted April 1, 2018 Report Share Posted April 1, 2018 They are unlikely to be wood ducks as they do not have red heads, more likely Mandarins. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
panoma1 Posted April 1, 2018 Report Share Posted April 1, 2018 Often find Duck nesting up in trees, Mallard in Pollarded Willow for example!....guess the two duck you saw were paired up? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The gouse Posted April 1, 2018 Author Report Share Posted April 1, 2018 They would not be nesting in an oak tree would they? The tree as know trees round it and all the ponds are a good 400m away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDog Posted April 1, 2018 Report Share Posted April 1, 2018 They could easily be looking to nest in that tree. The ducklings of that species and other species parachute down to the ground quite safely then wander off to water. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
islandgun Posted April 1, 2018 Report Share Posted April 1, 2018 I remember watching ducklings launch themselves into the river Dee, from high up in a tree Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDog Posted April 1, 2018 Report Share Posted April 1, 2018 Mergansers also nest in trees. Whether Gouse has Mergansers near him I cannot say. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
panoma1 Posted April 1, 2018 Report Share Posted April 1, 2018 38 minutes ago, The gouse said: They would not be nesting in an oak tree would they? The tree as know trees round it and all the ponds are a good 400m away. Mandarin are perching duck! Closely related to Wood Ducks, usually nest in trees! Choose wooded ponds and prefer to be away from lakes and large bodies of water! According to google! I imagine Mergansers would not nest too far away from running water? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The gouse Posted April 1, 2018 Author Report Share Posted April 1, 2018 When we shoot the flight ponds we have only had mallard,teal, and wigoen ducks, never seen Merganser on the ponds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
panoma1 Posted April 1, 2018 Report Share Posted April 1, 2018 Stick a few nesting tubes on stilts, around the edges of your ponds, you may find out what they are? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The gouse Posted April 1, 2018 Author Report Share Posted April 1, 2018 Was going to do them on the shoot nesting tubes. they are not Merganser just looked them up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wasps57 Posted April 1, 2018 Report Share Posted April 1, 2018 Muskovy ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The gouse Posted April 1, 2018 Author Report Share Posted April 1, 2018 15 minutes ago, wasps57 said: Muskovy ? These ducks had dark red heads and white stripepy body and the same size as mallard. and fly like teal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greenergp Posted April 1, 2018 Report Share Posted April 1, 2018 Here is a link to Mandarin and Wood ducks in the UK, could it have been one of them? https://www.bto.org/about-birds/bird-id/identifying-mandarin-and-wood-duck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mice! Posted April 1, 2018 Report Share Posted April 1, 2018 https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/ducks-geese-and-swans/ have a look Steve see if anything fits, the pochard has a red head but not stripes? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fisheruk Posted April 1, 2018 Report Share Posted April 1, 2018 Sounds definitely Manderin. They nest in trees or boxes on trees. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The gouse Posted April 1, 2018 Author Report Share Posted April 1, 2018 2 hours ago, Mice! said: https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/ducks-geese-and-swans/ have a look Steve see if anything fits, the pochard has a red head but not stripes? Mice it’s the oak tree at the end off the drive second set of double gates. 1 hour ago, Fisheruk said: Sounds definitely Manderin. They nest in trees or boxes on trees. There is a box in the tree. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The gouse Posted April 3, 2018 Author Report Share Posted April 3, 2018 On 01/04/2018 at 13:12, JDog said: They are unlikely to be wood ducks as they do not have red heads, more likely Mandarins. You were right mate got good look this morning at the Drake in the same tree defo Mandarin. he flew before I could get picture but no sign of female duck so she must be in the box. will be interesting how the duckings get down from there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motty Posted April 3, 2018 Report Share Posted April 3, 2018 I have seen mallard land in trees before. I have also seen Egyptian geese do it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fisheruk Posted April 3, 2018 Report Share Posted April 3, 2018 6 hours ago, The gouse said: You were right mate got good look this morning at the Drake in the same tree defo Mandarin. he flew before I could get picture but no sign of female duck so she must be in the box. will be interesting how the duckings get down from there. They are a very smart looking duck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The gouse Posted April 4, 2018 Author Report Share Posted April 4, 2018 20 hours ago, Fisheruk said: They are a very smart looking duck. they are going to have to be smart ducking's to get down from that box mate???????? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
panoma1 Posted April 4, 2018 Report Share Posted April 4, 2018 Nah! They have the nerve of a kamikazi! When ready they will just go for it........it's in the breed! Lol! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
decoy1979 Posted April 4, 2018 Report Share Posted April 4, 2018 I once heard something up a tree, on looking more closely I could just make out the head of a duck as it had hankered right down on a big bow. Turns out is was Peking!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
getthegat Posted April 18, 2018 Report Share Posted April 18, 2018 On my dog walk the other morning there were 2 Mallard sat on the ridge of the church roof (never seen that before) and one random drake sat in a field on grass, about 2 feet from the road! Just looked odd. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old man Posted April 19, 2018 Report Share Posted April 19, 2018 A pair of mallard here regularly land on a nearby conservatory roof? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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