"….And, boy, are my wings tired. The Daily Mail has photos of a very unusual bird seen swimming about in a grimy canal in Birmingham: A North American wood duck.
He has also been spotted waddling around the trendy shops and bars of the surrounding Mailbox complex.
Bird experts say the sighting is highly unusual.
Wood Ducks, also known as Carolina Ducks, are native to the wooded swamps, shallow lakes, marshes or ponds in eastern North America, the west coast of the U.S. and western Mexico.
They are one of the only species to perch or nest in trees and their heads bob back and forth when swimming, which makes them easy to spot.
With their green head, red-and-white bill and stripy body, they are sought after by collectors in this country.
This fellow could have escaped from such a collection, experts suggest, or he might have made the perilous 4,000-mile journey across the Atlantic.
If he did fly all the way, it would have been a "remarkable achievement"…..
Wood ducks are my own personal favorite of all the duck species. I have several wood duck decoys around the house as well as a lovely print by David Maass titled Tight Quarters.
I recognise this duck. His name is "Wrong Way Corrigan", we will take him back. Please remit the duck.
They are wonderful in a crockpot soup.
Silly Brits can’t tell a wood duck from an ivory-billed woodpecker.