I've just found out that a drake Baikal Teal was seen at Whitlingham at the end of January! The chances of it being of wild origin are somewhere between nil and zero, but it would have been a cracker to see. As it happens I was at Whitlingham the morning after it was seen, so I can at least be content that I would have seen it had it stayed around.
.
On a more serious note, first the Red-breasted Goose, now Baikal Teal (not to mention the Red-crested Pochard and Mandarin of unknown origin last year) - is someone nearby forgetting to lock the pen doors?!
I was unaware of this Baikal teal report.
ReplyDeleteUnlikely to be wild may be a hybrid, who knows.
I am sure there have been reports of the species elsewhere.
Most birders did not bother to go and see a Baikal teal at Minsmere in Nov Dec 2001. I went out of curiousity and there were other good birds to see of course. That bird has many years later become an armchair tick for me.
Dipped the mandarin at Whitlingham last year. Did not see the Titchwell mandarin either but having given up on it last sunday, my walk to Titchwell beach was cut short by the long-eared owl closeby at Thornham.
It wasn't reported, but a photo was put on the BirdGuides rare birds gallery, initially as an undisclosed site. When asked the photographer said it was taken at Whitlingham on 28/01/11 shortly before it flew off.
ReplyDeleteI spent most of my formative birding years wandering the countryside around North Walsham or at NWT reserves, so I was unaware of the Minsmere Baikal Teal until years after!