D Is For ... The Daily Duck

How could I resist D is for Duck ....

Those who know me, and have followed this blog will know I have a bit of a thing for ducks!

My profile picture for Blip is a duck ... the whole 562 entries is liberally sprinkled with them .. and this is still my favourite duck picture of all, and it adorns my living room wall!

I went back to Forest Farm in Cardiff today with my mum, one week after visiting with Bevosity.

The weather did it's best to thwart us for the morning. A heavy mist lay over the valley, but luckily it began to brighten up around lunch time.

There was plenty to see again, and after almost hand feeding a robin last week, I successfully coaxed one down to feed off my hand. Only the second time I have managed that ... thr first time at Slimbridge in December 2010. Absolutely chuffed to nuts with that ... to have a bird trust you that much to land and feed from your hand .. absolutely magical!

There were plenty of Treecreepers scurrying around the branches, but the light was way too poor to get a photo of a small, quick brown bird, on a dark background.

The highlight of the day (other than completing my Bittern hat trick) was a water rail feeding within four feet of me, which my mum spotted before me and the assembled birders watching the Great Spotted Woodpeckers drumming. She got some serious birding kudos from those around. You are incredibly lucky to get so up close and personal with such a shy bird.

I was going to add some links to the photos I took of the Water Rail, but Flickr is down at the moment, so I can't. I will add links tomorrow when the servers are back up.

All in all, a cracking afternoon down there.