While passing through Clonmel in Tipperary today, I popped into Marafield Lake on the outskirts of the town. As soon as I arrived and started looking through the ducks, a drake Mandarin swam out of the low tree lined edge to the east. Mandarin Duck are normally kept in collections in this country and first started popping up in the wild in the late 1970's. Later after photographing all the ducks and while watching a Chiffchaff and Long-tailed Tits, I met local birder Rosemary who informed me that this individual has been on the lake for the last three winter's but disappears during the summer. A feral bird but it did brighten up the day.
Drake Mandarin Duck John N Murphy
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