flying twigs

Mandarin ducks are perching ducks. You often see them resting on a low branch near water. And at the right time of year they congregate on the water. With their feathers like sails, they look like miniature armadas floating on the waves.

We have been watching birds of all kinds for years. Occasionally one bird will seem more intelligent because of the way it interacts with us. So even though it is more than a decade since we saw this male mandarin duck, we clearly remember how he looked at us and eyed us as we watched him.

The habitat of the mandarin is a great circle around the eastern part of the northern hemisphere and many have been introduced to the UK. The name is said to come from the rich brocade clothes of mandarins in traditional Chinese culture.

The female mandarin is quite different, grey and brown with a white strip all around its eye. It has a toned down version of the feathers that around the head that you can see in the male.