Shelduk

I just thought I would post this film of a Shelduk. It is not particularly rare, but I do think they are beautiful ducks.

I cant remember the circumstances but I remember seeing one when I was a child. I must have been seven or eight, on Hollow Pond in Epping Forest. Father who was an expert in all things, if he did not know a fact would make it up but say this with such authority that it became true. Well to him it did, told me that I was wrong with the identification of the bird and it was nothing more than a domestic duck.

I had recently borrowed a book from the library, the grown ups section (so I was quite proud of that), for identifying birds. Well Father said that the book must be wrong. It did leave me rather deflated and confused. However it did not put me off Birding or watching wildlife and I learnt not to trust what people told me as fact when the evidence was telling another story.

I still like the bird, they have beautiful markings and I was pleased to film this one when it has just developed its summer plumage before mating. As by the end of summer most birds look tatty and run ragged looking after their kids. I bet there is a parent (mother) or two that can relate to that.

On the subject of videos, I have just noticed that my nonsense posted on You Tube has passed twelve thousand views. While I know that others get viewers of millions, it still makes me feel like a kid that has just been allowed to borrow a book from the grown ups section of the library.