Buxton, Derbyshire: The drake mandarin duck ranks among the Earth’s most beautiful birdsThe Pavilion Gardens in my home town are a wonderful civic amenity. They’re threaded by the young River Wye and feature several lakes where wildfowl have gathered for as long as I can remember. They were part of my daily walk to school and I recall vividly one morning how the duck there managed to subvert my sense of natural order as much as if I had suddenly seen a sheep catch and kill a rabbit. Related: Club gatherings of the male mallard: Country diary 100 years ago Continue reading…
Source : theguardian.com
Read more…Country diary: iridescent beauties, pavilioned in splendour















