Species of the week: mallard

As regular readers will know, since May I have been featuring one of Minsmere's 70 star species in a weekly species of the week blog. These species have been chosen from the list of 70 species that we've been asking you find during 2017 as part of our 70th anniversasry celebrations. Although we've now entered another year, I'm only halfway through the list, so it seems apt to continue to feature these species in a series of weekly blogs. Why not see how many of them you can spot at Minsmere this year - you will need to visit at various times of year to see all 70 due to their seasonality. Ask for a copy of our 70 species to spot challenge list on your next visit.

This week, the spotlight falls on one of our most familiar species: the mallard. I'm sure that you'll all be familiar with the mallard. It is, afterall, the duck that lives on most rivers, canals and town park lakes that we all went to feed as a child. I'm sure many of you still take the children or grandchildren to feed the ducks, so probably see mallards on a regular basis. If you do, please try not to feed them bread. It has low nutrient value, and so much is thrown to them that much of it goes mouldy, polluting the water. Under no circumstances should you use mouldy bread. If you wouldn't eat it, why should you feed it to any birds. Instead, try taking a handful of wheat, or buying a special duck-feed from your local pet shop. It's much better for the ducks, and just as much fun to throw to them.

Of course, we don't encourage you to feed the ducks at Minsmere, but we are encouraging you to think about feeding your garden birds at the moment in preparation for the Big Garden Birdwatch on 27 to 29 January. While many of us used to feed them bread in the past, again, there are much better types of food to choose from nowadays, such as sunflower seeds, feeder seed mixes, nyjer seed, fruit or even peanuts. There's still three weeks til the count, so there's plenty of time to wash your feeders, put out some fresh food and get ready for the big day. If you need even more inspiration, why not bring the little ones along to our Big Bird Cake Off on 20-21 January and make some tasty goodies for your garden birds in our bird cafe.

Anyway, back to the mallard. You'll all recognise the drake with his bottle-green head, yellow bill, dark purple belly, blue wing patch, edged with white, and black curled tail feathers. The female, like most ducks, is largely brown for camouflage when nesting, but note the blue wing panel and the large size in comparison to most other female ducks (when there are other species for comparison).

You can easily see the blue (almost purple) wing panel in this drake mallard

Mallards may be the most familiar of our ducks, and by far the most widespread as a breeding species, but in winter they are certainly not the commonest species as thousands of ducks migrate here, escaping from the Arctic freeze in Siberia, Scandinavia and Greenland. Even so, you'll still see plenty of mallards among the flocks of teals, shovelers, wigeons and gadwalls on the Scrape. Look carefully and you might spot a few shelducks or the odd pintail or tufted duck too.

A pair of mallards, with the drake showing his curly tail feathers, but keeping the wing panel hidden

It's often said that wet weather is perfect for ducks, though even they don't like heavy rain. They're also perhaps a little confused on the Scrape at the moment as most of the islands and backs on which they like to rest have disappeared under the rising floodwaters following recent heavy rain. This flooding has meant that the path from the Sluice to SouthBelt Crossroads has been closed since New Year, though it is now passable with care - providing you are wearing wellingtons! Water levels are falling, so we hope that everyone will be able to visit South Hide and Wildlife Lookout soon. In the meantime, there have been great views of the ducks from North Hide, as that's where the best of the dry land is.

Even the koniks took to the water last week. They've now been moved into the reedbed between the Scrape and North Wall.

With so much water on the Scrape, it's perhaps a surprise that there are still a few dunlins and redshanks among the lapwings and ducks, plus up to 15 black-tailed godwits. Many more ducks, several of the lapwings, and most of the snipe are now feeding out on the flooded marshes on the Levels and at Eastbridge. These floodwaters have also attracted several gull, including the first winter glaucous gull which continues to move between the Scrape, levels and beach.

The Bewick's swans remain in the area too, but are spending their days feeding in fields between Westleton and Dunwich, often coming back to roost at Minsmere after dark. A dusk visit to Island Mere may yield a sighting, and certainly should be good for spotting the marsh harriers as they come in to roost. With luck, patience, or both, you still have a good chance of spotting a bittern or otter at Island Mere too, and kingfishers have been regularly seen. 

Talking of otters, if you'd like to learn more about our otters, then why not book onto our otter tracks and signs walks and join David as he searches for otter spraints (droppings) and helps you to interpret the signs of an otter's presence. You'll also help him to check our trail camera footage. Places are strictly limited, so call us soon if you'd like to book.

Returning to your garden birds, it's also worth spending time watching our feeders, or taking a gentle stroll through the woods. Among the more familiar blue tits, great tits, robins and chaffinches you may spot a marsh tit, coal tit, siskin or nuthatch - not to mention the chance of a jay, bullfinch or green or great spotted woodpecker.

A rare sighting of a nuthatch on the ground rather than in a tree

So why not put on you waterproofs and a thick jumper, grab a pair of wellies or waterproof boots, and pop along for a winter walk this week.