Could someone name these birds.

Hi KatTai,

Iv'e just found the Water rail in my bird book so that one is right thanks for that,but i can not find the other one so i am still unsure.

Hi littleowl,

Muscovy ducks aren't a native species they are a domestic species originally from central and south America that are sometimes found feral which may be why they aren't in your book.  The red at the base of the beak is very noticeable which makes me think muscovy duck.  The first time I saw one it really had me confused because it wasn't listed in my bird book either.

Kat

Littleowl

Looks like muscovy - my great uncle had some on his smallholding & pond many years ago - and HE HATED them, as did we kids.  Real ASBO ducks - bullies, always hissing at us and his other fowl, and ugly to boot when the red on the face develops a bit more than on your chap.  They were rubbish layers and according to him they tasted foul as well!

Theres a feral-ish colony in Ely Cambs, and they too are pretty thuggish. They certainly make you think twice about eating your fish & chips by the river..

Hi fitmonk,

The one we saw was eating alongside some other ducks it seemed to be fairly quiet,i had never seen one before.

Great shot of a Water Rail, lucky to see them as they are very shy and skulking, we do have them on our local patch but lucky if you get a sighting once a year, although bizzarely we did once see one in the garden.

Second photo, I would agree with Muscovy duck, possibly in some sort of eclipse plumage, or even a hybrid of Muscovy and something else, they are quite popular in wildfowl collections and escapees are inevitable.

ND