Colourful drake, drab duck

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In the world of birds it is quite common to find the male of the species to be relatively colourful in its plumage and the female to be more subdued. This isn't a universal rule, of course, and in species as disparate as the tree sparrow, the magpie, the kittiwake, the sand martin and the snipe, the male and female are pretty much identical. The distinction in colour is particularly noticeable in ducks. The most common duck, the mallard, has a colourful drake and a subdued female, the latter only sharing the purple speculum with the male. One of the biggest contrasts is between the male mandarin duck and the female, though in this case the female shares a couple of characteristics as well as having some unique features, such as the "spectacles".

photos © T. Boughen     Camera: Olympus OMD E-M10

The mandarins' new colours

During summer after the hatching of eggs and the quick growth of ducklings the mandarin, like all other ducks, moults its feathers. This period is also known as "eclipse". It is most noticeable in the brightly coloured males that become predominantly brown though they can still be distinguished from the females by their distinctive beaks.

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As autumn approaches a new set of feathers grows and quite quickly the males assume their multi-coloured best. On a recent visit to Cannop Ponds in the Forest of Dean we saw the mandarins by the waters edge, under the overhanging trees. Many birds were perched on the low branches of alders. The second photograph shows a bird standing on a section of submerged branch, its lower body reflected in the water, with real and reflected branches in the background

photos © T. Boughen     Camera: Nikon P900

Preening drake Mandarin

On a late April walk round Cannop Ponds in the Forest of Dean we came across a reduced number of mandarin ducks. This is probably accounted for by the fact that in April and May the ducks are nesting in cavities in trees in the area around the water. Of the remaining ducks all but one were males, and most of these were spending their time preening on branches overhanging the ponds. The biological imperatives that govern behaviour seemed to be at work here - the females doing the important stuff and the males making themselves look the best they can!

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Lumix FZ1000 2

The naturalized mandarin

The mandarin duck is a native of Eastern Asia, mainly China and Japan. It became known in Europe in 1599 through a painting brought to Rome by Japanese envoys. Live birds were introduced to Britain shortly before 1745 when it was known as the "Chinese teal". Drawings of the birds in the garden of Sir Matthew Decker in Surrey were made by the naturalist George Edwards. Thereafter many wealthy landowners tried, often successfully, to establish the bird in their grounds and pockets of mandarins developed across the British Isles. I recently acquired the book, "The Naturalized Animals of the British Isles" (Christoper Lever, Hutchinson, 1977) where the above facts (and many more) can be found. Interestingly the large colony at Cannop Ponds in the Forest of Dean isn't mentioned: perhaps it is of more recent establishment. The photograph shows a striking male mandarin at the Ponds, standing on ice.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Nikon P900

Mandarin drakes under the branches

The mandarin duck is a perching duck, closely related to the wood duck or Carolina duck. It is an introduced bird in Britain but one that has become an established breeding species to the extent that there are as many or more than in most of the eastern asiatic countries in which it is indigenous. In the Forest of Dean they are common, particularly at Cannop Ponds where the tree-surrounded pools offer an ideal habitat. These birds were enjoying the shelter of the bankside trees. Through the viewfinder the muted colours of the water and branches next to the strong colours of the drakes reminded me of the  compositions of some Japanese art.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Lumix FZ1000 2

Goosander and mandarin duck families

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A walk along the river near Ross on Wye produced today's charming scene. The subjects were relatively distant, on the far side of the river. However, I was carrying what I call my "bird watching camera" and so they were still within reach: in fact I didn't need to call on all its telephoto power to include all the disparate parts. The female goosander with her thirteen youngsters first caught our eye and I took a few shots of them lazing on the fallen tree. But then the mandarin mother with her eight young in tow conveniently swam into the scene greatly adding to the interest.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Nikon P900

Another mandarin

As recent posts show I've been photographing some wildlife lately in the Forest of Dean. Ducks aren't usually associated with forests, but perching ducks like the mandarin build their nests in trees and frequent woodland ponds. Today's photograph is the third I've posted featuring a drake mandarin duck, and it's of an individual that let me get a little closer than usual so its spectacular colours dominate the shot.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Nikon P900

Mandarin ducks and camouflage

As is typical with the majority of ducks, the male mandarin duck is brightly coloured and the female is relatively drab. In terms of camouflage the male stands out boldly against most backgrounds, and the female tends to blend in. Bright male colouring is thought to be connected to attracting a mate and drabness in the female an aid to camouflage when nesting. I knew this theoretically but it took this photograph, particularly the female surrounded by branches, bank and water, to bring home to me the extent to which this is so.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Nikon P900

Mandarin ducks

The mandarin duck (Aix galericulata) was first brought to the Britain from China in the mid-eighteenth century as an ornamental addition to private lakes and ponds. Whether it became more widely distributed by further releases or by escaping from private collections isn't known. However, it fairly quickly found its way to woodland ponds and is now a naturalised species. Of all Britain's introduced birds the drake is widely regarded as the most colourful, with the only challenger being the cock pheasant. I've usually only seen them as singles or couples. However, the Cannop Ponds in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, where I found this pair, supports a population of over 200 birds.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Nikon P900

Drake mandarin duck

On a stagnant, slime-infested pool, home to a single moorhen, a coot and a few passing mallards, we saw a remarkable sight - a drake mandarin duck slowly making its way through the scum on the surface of the water. The contrast between the opulent beauty of the bird and its surroundings could not have been greater. Its striking plumage of glossy purple, burnt orange, white and cream, black and iridescent green and blue seemed to deserve a backdrop of crystal clear water that reflected the sky and clouds above rather than this malignant mess. But it sailed on, seemingly happy in its chosen place, managing, despite the circumstances, to remain scrupulously clean. Until, that is, we got too close and it took to the air, perhaps heading for pastures (or waters) new.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Nikon P900