Oh Fudge (Duck)

I found myself back at Strumpshaw RSPB again today.  My birdy friends were coming to visit with promise of a pub lunch in lieu of my birthday on Saturday, I never turn down a pub lunch so I was really looking forward to it.  They arrived earlier than planned so we decided to go for the Fudge (Ferruginous) Duck at Strumpshaw before we went to the pub.  Yes, the same duck which was conspicuous by its absence on Friday.  

We arrived at the reserve in glorious sun to be told it had been seen earlier but was headed into the reeds.  Oh joy!  To be honest we have all seen Fudge duck a few times before so none of us were actually desperate for the tick but we had hoped to see it.  We had a meander round to the Fen Hide, sauntered in, lazily opened the viewing flaps and I started to faff with my camera changing lenses etc.  All very low key.  Then I got a nudge in the ribs to say the bird was on full view.  How jammy was that!  I hadn't actually expected to see it at all, let alone have it come out and perform for us.  So there were four happy birders all with another year tick in the book.

Not the best pic but you can tell he is Fudgy!  Hint: the duck on the left!

Our pub lunch was very nice, when we arrived in the car park there was an unexpected welcome in the form of a lovely Swallow sitting on the wires above our heads singing his little heart out.  You can't beat a swallow, they are total value for money, guaranteed to raise a smile!

What a little stunner!

The past few days it has been warm and I have been putting Pinky outside in her cage to get used to the big outside world.  I have put it by the Dovecote in hopes she will watch the big kids and learn the etiquette of being a grown up Dove.  She appears quite interested in the others but until today they took no notice of her, almost as if she was a second class citizen because she was caged.  I wanted to tell them she was a bone fide local dove who was born in that very Dovecote but as I have not found an e-course in dove-speak that wasn't possible.  Today however, the female of the pair flew up to Pinky's cage a few times and had a very brief look in.  She didn't land but it was obviously Pinky she was interested in.  The male sat on the landing platform trying to look very butch.

I think the transition from house to Dovecote is going to be as tricky for me as it is for her.  She is raring to go, she does not want to be in her cage at all now, she is out of it the whole time when I am home.  I don't put her in when I am out in case Action Dog climbs a ladder to open the door or Pinky manages to get stuck behind something.  Yes I know one is more probable than the other!  I know that sooner or later I am going to have to let her fly free in the garden but then what?  I mean what if she doesn't sit in the Dovecote but won't come back indoors.  What do I do, just leave her in a tree all night?  What if when it gets dark she is trying to get in, tapping at the window and I don't know?  What if she goes for a fly with the others and they fly off and leave her somewhere?  Oh what if, what if??