I managed to nip down to a flooding Watermead this morning. The new all terrain pushchair seemed to handle the shallow water on the paths surprisingly well. I couldn't get over to King Lear's lake because the key access point near the bridge was flooded by the river. On the lakes over near Birstall I couldn't help but think that the number of birds was a lot lower than normal. The cold weather must have moved them on somewhere. Even though the park was in the grip of thaw the lakes were still covered in a skim of ice. It was entertaining to watch the Moorhens and Coots slipping on it!
Just when I was considering coming back I spotted some bird watchers photographing something I had walked past. So I went back to see what they had found.
Deep in the undergrowth that overhung the lake I could see the distinctive red and green of a Mandarin Duck. Its also the first one I have ever seen. I tried to find a vantage point that allowed me to film it, but the near ground was always full of twigs and sticks. Just when I was about to go it suddenly made a bid for freedom and set sail across the lake allowing me to get some cracking shots!
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