Fulvous Whistling Duck

Hi Caroline, this thread: www.rspb.org.uk/.../108794.aspx gives guidance on how to post images.

It's certainly possible you saw a Fulvous Whistling Duck - they are pretty distinctive and, while not native to the UK, a lot of zoos/wildlife parks/wildfowl collections keep them - and escapes sometimes happen!

Hi Caroline,  I have just been to Brereton Nature Reserve as its only 20 mins. down the road from where I live and have seen the Fulvous Whistling Duck which seems very approachable so I took lots of photos.    Do you have your pics ready to put up yet as I'd love to see them and I don't want to upload mine before you have had a chance to show your photos.    Just use Aiki's link above to learn how to upload photos and give a shout if you get stuck.    Well spotted on the Fulvous Whistling Duck, its a very attractive looking duck.    

I have now put 3 pictures of the duck on the thread- hope they are clear enough! All very exciting!!! Is there any way of knowing if he is a foreign visitor or has escaped from somewhere local?

well done uploading the photos Caroline, nice to see such an exotic duck.    I notice it wasn't ringed so not sure where this duck came from, can only assume he is an escapee but them again I would have expected it to be ring tagged.  Perhaps others can tell us what they think.    There is a private home in Mobberley (Cheshire) that have lots of exotic waterfowl including Whistling Ducks but theirs are ringed from what I have seen.   They open their gardens to the public each year as part of the National Garden scheme.