File:A Quackers Mallard!! (13648009685).jpg

Taken at Pitsford NR. There is not much left at Pitsford as in terms of water birds they seem to have all left but off not there were 5 pairs of GCB, around 15 mute swans, 100 odd coots, 38 pairs of cormerants, a few pairs of Grey Heron, around 50 pairds of mallard, 2 snipe, 30 odd pairs of Tufty, 1 Red Necked Grebe and 1 GND next to the Dam Still. But suprisingly no Lapwings! But in terms of Passerines, alot was there, 7 Goldfinches, 50+ Tree Sparrow, a handful of Greenfinches, 2 Goldcrest were caught displaying, a few Blackbirds, a Song Thrush was heard, 3 Yellow Hammer, Reed Bunting were found displaying in just about everywhere, Chaffinch, Blue Tit and Great Tit galore and a Wren was heard singing close to a Chiffchaff. But present yesterday at Brampton Valley Neil and Eleanor McMahon spotted a Osprey!!Heading towards the NR but want there today, :(.

The mallard is a large and heavy looking duck. It has a long body and a long and broad bill. The male has a dark green head, a yellow bill, is mainly purple-brown on the breast and grey on the body. The female is mainly brown with an orange bill. It breeds in all parts of the UK in summer and winter, wherever there are suitable wetland habitats, although it is scarcer in upland areas. Mallards in the UK may be resident breeders or migrants - many of the birds that breed in Iceland and northern Europe spend the winter here.

Status: Amber

Population:

UK Breeding: 61,000-146,000 pairs 
UK Wintering: 710,000 birds