Arrived around 10.30am on a very damp morning it was the sort of rain that soaks you (very fine) and after looking at the BBC weather app it didn’t look like getting any better with fog coming after the rain.
So, I decided to concentrate on the Captive collection part of the centre to start with, must admit I wasn’t impressed with the signage around the enclosures as most of it was shall we say a little miss placed.
On the other hand, what species, they had in the collection were giving a great viewing to the public with nearly all the species out and about, unfortunately the Flamingos were still OFF show as the DEFRA INSTRUCTIONS ON BIRD FLU these were to be lifted in around 3 weeks’ time.
I did manage to see some of my favourite wildfowl today in the shape of the Smew, Magpie Goose, Mandarin duck, Carolina wood duck and the most underrated species in the UK if not the world The Mallard such a strikingly beautiful bird.
Sad news the Whooper Swan in the NRA Scrapes pool will be the last in the collection as the Old Male bird is no longer drawing in the Wild birds which now resident a few miles up the road so once the male bird as died there will no longer be any Whooper swans at the collection.
I was a little surprised to see the Red Crowned Cranes out what with the Bird Flu Instructions but still a great species.
I must admit I did keep going back to the Swan Goose this is fastly becoming a favourite of mine but still quite away behind the gorgeous Magpie goose though.
The following list was of species I actually saw at the collection during my visit please not Flamingo's were in there indoor quarters due to bird flu.
Please could someone up date Zootierliste as many of these species are not listed the birds that are on the web page that are not on my list may still be in the collection but I just didn't see them.
SPECIES SEEN TODAY -
American black duck, American wigeon, Barnacle goose, Barrow’s goldeneye, Bewick swan, Black brant, Black necked swan, Black swan, Bufflehead, Canvasback, Cape barren goose, Carolina wood duck, Chestnut teal, Chiloe wigeon, White winged duck, Coscoroba swan, Eider duck, Falcated teal, Ferruginous duck, Freckled duck, Gadwall, Garganey, Hardhead, Hawaiian goose/Ne-ne, Laysan duck, Lesser scaup, Lesser snow goose, Lesser white fronted goose, Maccoa duck, Madagascan/Bernier’s teal, Magpie goose, Mandarin duck, Maned/Australian wood duck, Muscovy duck, Philippine duck, Red billed teal, Puna teal, Red breasted goose, Red crested pochard, Red crowned crane, Red/Argentine shoveler, Richardson’s Canada goose, Ringed teal, Ross’s goose, Ruddy headed goose, Sharp winged teal, Smew, Swan goose, White headed duck, Whooper swan & Wigeon
So, I decided to concentrate on the Captive collection part of the centre to start with, must admit I wasn’t impressed with the signage around the enclosures as most of it was shall we say a little miss placed.
On the other hand, what species, they had in the collection were giving a great viewing to the public with nearly all the species out and about, unfortunately the Flamingos were still OFF show as the DEFRA INSTRUCTIONS ON BIRD FLU these were to be lifted in around 3 weeks’ time.
I did manage to see some of my favourite wildfowl today in the shape of the Smew, Magpie Goose, Mandarin duck, Carolina wood duck and the most underrated species in the UK if not the world The Mallard such a strikingly beautiful bird.
Sad news the Whooper Swan in the NRA Scrapes pool will be the last in the collection as the Old Male bird is no longer drawing in the Wild birds which now resident a few miles up the road so once the male bird as died there will no longer be any Whooper swans at the collection.
I was a little surprised to see the Red Crowned Cranes out what with the Bird Flu Instructions but still a great species.
I must admit I did keep going back to the Swan Goose this is fastly becoming a favourite of mine but still quite away behind the gorgeous Magpie goose though.
The following list was of species I actually saw at the collection during my visit please not Flamingo's were in there indoor quarters due to bird flu.
Please could someone up date Zootierliste as many of these species are not listed the birds that are on the web page that are not on my list may still be in the collection but I just didn't see them.
SPECIES SEEN TODAY -
American black duck, American wigeon, Barnacle goose, Barrow’s goldeneye, Bewick swan, Black brant, Black necked swan, Black swan, Bufflehead, Canvasback, Cape barren goose, Carolina wood duck, Chestnut teal, Chiloe wigeon, White winged duck, Coscoroba swan, Eider duck, Falcated teal, Ferruginous duck, Freckled duck, Gadwall, Garganey, Hardhead, Hawaiian goose/Ne-ne, Laysan duck, Lesser scaup, Lesser snow goose, Lesser white fronted goose, Maccoa duck, Madagascan/Bernier’s teal, Magpie goose, Mandarin duck, Maned/Australian wood duck, Muscovy duck, Philippine duck, Red billed teal, Puna teal, Red breasted goose, Red crested pochard, Red crowned crane, Red/Argentine shoveler, Richardson’s Canada goose, Ringed teal, Ross’s goose, Ruddy headed goose, Sharp winged teal, Smew, Swan goose, White headed duck, Whooper swan & Wigeon