A Banbury Double - 2nd September 2022

Peter joined me as I was sitting outside the cafe at Farmoor on a warm, muggy but grey mid morning. I  was enjoying coffee and biscuits courtesy of Thames Water having partaken in a Farmoor work party earlier. News had come through in the meantime of a male Ferruginous Duck and a Great White Egret being discovered on Grimsbury Reservoir at Banbury, only half an hour's drive north. Not for the first time I wished something similar would happen at Farmoor.

I persuaded Peter that Farmoor was unlikely to produce anything as good today, so we should go for the duck. It was agreed and we set forth for Grimsbury and half an hour later, despite the heavy Friday traffic, arrived in the small car park adjacent to the reservoir.

A short walk brought us to the beginning of the reservoir by the yacht club but we were uncertain as to which side to walk round on the perimeter path. Thankfully a departing birder told us our target was at the far end, on the 'riverside' of the reservoir.

On commencing to walk along the path I was surprised that there was no one else here, no other birders not even the usual dog walkers, maybe the time, just before noon  had something to do with it.

The departing birder had told us the 'Fudge Duck', how I hate that name, right up there with 'Gropper' and 'Blackwit', was swimming around with three or four moulting Mallard and would swim with them from one side of the reservoir to the other. We had to  hope it was still on our side, although compared to the huge expanse of Farmoor, Grimsbury is small and far less onerous to walk around if that were to be necessary.

Two Little Egrets and a Grey Heron, perched on the pontoons by the yacht club, were all we had to show for our efforts thus far. Half way along the track a large flock of Canada Geese, in mid reservoir were indulging in a honking session, a horrible, decibels high noise that went on and on. Passing further along we came to the end of the reservoir.

To some surprise and much delight we found the Great White Egret was still present, feeding on small fish at the edge of the reservoir. Refreshingly confiding it allowed us to approach it closely and gave us point blank views. They are striking in both size and their dazzling white plumage, that even on such a dull day positively shone. It would occasionally move position, spreading its huge white wings and slowly fly a short distance, before pitching onto the concrete edge of the reservoir, its extraordinary pipe like neck with a noticeable kink in it, supporting its tiny head and bright yellow bill.

Great White Egrets used to be a really rare bird in Britain but along with their smaller cousins, Little and Cattle Egrets, can now be said to be an established species in Britain, present all year round in increasing numbers and now breeding in Somerset. In Oxfordshire this nationwide increase is reflected in the ongoing regularity with which birds are seen, particularly at the lakes in Blenheim Park and at the small reserves created by Thames Water at Farmoor Reservoir,  but I believe they have yet to breed in the county.

The egret however, although nice to see, was not our main focus and it was Peter who first found the duck with the aforementioned Mallards, feeding on weed two thirds of the way across the reservoir .

Its arrival at Grimsbury today coincided with the absence, also today, of the long staying immature male Ferruginous drake from nearby Daventry Reservoir, so putting two and two together it seemed not unreasonable to come to the conclusion that this was the bird from Daventry.

The Ferruginous Duck is still a major rarity in Oxfordshire and although this year, remarkably, there have been two, this individual at Banbury and another at Dorchester  on Thames in February, it is likely to remain so. In Britain it is regarded as a rare visitor, generally found in Spring and Autumn. Its normal range is to the south of Britain, extending from Spain and Portugal eastwards to western Mongolia and south as far as Arabia. European populations migrate to winter in the countries surrounding the Mediterranean and Black Sea and in the western areas of its range it is in decline due to loss of habitat  and hunting.

We skirted round the end of the reservoir to the other side in order to get closer but the duck decided it was not keen on this and promptly swam with its Mallard chums to the side we had only just left! 

The shape of the head, extent of white in the wings both upper and lower and white belly all point
towards this being a genuine male Ferruginous Duck

We made our way back and this time for no accountable reason the duck was less bothered by our presence, floating at ease on the still water with the Mallards and only a little way offshore. This preceded a preening session which terminated with the duck rising in the water to flap its wings thus allowing me to take an image that shows most of the diagnostic features of a 'pure' Ferruginous Duck, confirming it has no hybrid genes, which is aways a concern and consideration with rare ducks found at unusual places inland. 

As to its origin who knows.There are so many wildfowl collections in the country it is a lottery as to whether ducks such as this are wild or escaped captives. 

Once it had ceased its preening, the star of the show tucked its bill into its mantle feathers and went to sleep.

We left it at that and departed Grimsbury.