Mandarin Duck: Dazzling Drake

Don't resist: look in large ("L")!

I visited Kew Gardens with a friend in the early afternoon: it was a beautiful, bright day and felt almost like spring in the gardens with the snowdrops and crocuses in abundance.

We ambled around the large pond there, and I managed to get shots of a range of interesting waterfowl, but it turns out that all of them have already been photographed for BlipBigYear... Oh well: no matter! I saw a pair of little grebes, and many red-crested pochards (I haven't consciously seen them before!). I also photographed a peacock and several ring-necked parakeets; all were looking resplendent in the sunshine...

This chap was my favourite bird of the day: he's not only ridiculously colourful, but also seriously cute... Unfortunately, he remained well and truly out of the sunlight in a patch of shade by the water's edge: he eventually went into the water, but only to swim around in the shade. I'm sure his iridescence would have looked even more marvellous had he ventured into direct sunlight, but I think he looks great here nonetheless.

I also saw coots building nests in shallow water! Yay, it'll soon be the season for cootlings, moorhenlings, and Egyptian goslings! Eeee; abandon hope all ye who hope for variety in my journal... I hope that this year I manage to see some young cygnets.

p.s. See him headbang (seriously! It is good for a giggle...) on my blipfolio here.