Blog

Pal-Mates — weekend web tip

If you are captivated by whistling ducks, which species should you choose for a new collection? Something readily available, calm and easy on the eye should fit the bill.  

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Pal-Mates weekend web tip

Eating. The appetite of our birds is one of the indications of their health. They naturally increase their intake when the weather is cold, but do you routinely monitor how

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Pal-Mates weekend web tip

Planning a new pond? When it comes to water, quantity is important but quality is vital. Dabbling ducks spend most of their time on the surface, but many others naturally wish

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Common Pochard

Common Pochard

Though familiar, we mostly tend to see wild Common Pochard (Aythya ferina) in winter. Populations from the breeding grounds in the steppes seek refuge in our slightly less harsh climate.

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Magpie Ducks lookingup

Bird brains and beady eyes

Birds use their large, prominent eyes to search for food and detect predators. They can see objects in fine detail two-and-a-half to three times farther away than people can, and their

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Are you a webbie?

 What would you call a bunch of enthusiasts who love ducks, geese and swans? We are paddling into the competition season with a search for a brilliant word. Comment on

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Mute swan stretching

The right thing to do

As a hgv driver, Rupert Stephenson’s day job takes him to many places, one of those last week was Stratford upon Avon. ‘I was emptying bins along the river area,

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White-headed Duck tail up

Black and Blue

The colours we see can sometimes be just an illusion. The White-headed Duck’s bill is bone, supporting a thin layer of living tissue which is then covered again with a

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Mandarin drake

Word Play

No harm in a little eye-candy from time to time! The magnificent Mandarin is back in his breeding finery for most of us, including some finely-marked feathers on his flanks.

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