As regular CFZ-watchers will know, for some time Corinna has been doing a column for Animals & Men and a regular segment on On The Track... particularly about out-of-place birds and rare vagrants. There seem to be more and more bird stories from all over the world hitting the news these days so, to make room for them all - and to give them all equal and worthy coverage - she has set up this new blog to cover all things feathery and Fortean.

Monday 29 August 2016

Ay up me duck!


Rare Aussie bird spotted in Horncastle

1:12 / 1:12   John Fieldhouse

Wednesday 24 August 2016

Australian wood duck - male.jpgBird-lovers could be going quackers and flocking to Horncastle to grab a sight of a rare duck An Australian wood duck has settled on the River Bain, just a few hundred yards from a busy Tesco supermarket.

It is happily living alongside hundreds of mallards - and the town’s ‘infamous’ swan who locals have called Cyril. A resident contacted the Horncastle News today (Wednesday) to tell us about the duck.

She said the duck appeared camera shy and swam off...whenever she attempted to take a photograph. However, the News contacted Horncastle-based photographer John Aron who quickly spotted the Aussie invader.

And, amazingly, the duck happily posed for photographs in the Bondhi-beach-like weather. The duck immediately attracted a large crowd, who admitted they were surprised to see it in Horncastle.

Alan Judge (37) said: “We’ don’t get many Australian visitors here. In fact, it should have come tomorrow (Thursday) - it’s market day then and there’s a lot more to see!”

Alison Newton (28) said she would not have spotted the Australian duck among all the resident mallards.


She added: “Now it’s been pointed out to me, it is a lot different looking. Perhaps it quacks with an Australian accent!” An RSPB spokesman confirmed the duck was likely to have escaped from a private collection. 

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