Having read Brian and David's most interesting posting yesterday, we
thought we’d try for the Marloes Mere ring-necked duck this morning. We couldn’t
recall having seen any of the ones recorded previously in Pembs,
only elsewhere in Wales such as one some years ago in Breconshire.
The usual (expected) waterfowl included several wigeon, shovelers, gadwall, 40-50 teal, numerous mallards and the feral barnacle goose bathing with the Canada geese etc., but no sign of any
diving ducks. It took a hunting buzzard, a passing adult female peregrine and a sparrowhawk being pursued by one of several hundred jackdaws over the farmland to
liven things up a bit.
Eventually though we managed to see the ring-necked duck, together with
several tufted ducks and what looked to us like possibly two greater scaups (the immature
male and a possible juvenile/female-type - needed a closer view to be sure). They were all feeding in the more sheltered northern lagoon
- viewable from the car park but best with a telescope. We just about managed some distant record photos, but not a patch on Brian's or David's very nice group shot yesterday.
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| Distant view of the ring-necked: 3rd from the right in front of a drake tufted. A possible female/immature scaup to the left (its right) |
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| Immature drake scaup behind the ring-necked (3rd from left). A digi-scoped photo would probably have been better? |