News from the RSPB site

The RSPB’s Sandwell Valley nature reserve has created a romantic environment for gadwall ducks. They literally love being there. While most gadwall ducks go on holiday to have babies, the gadwalls on the Sandwell reserve already have 45 ducklings.

If you want to see a baby gadwall duck you normally need to go to Russia.

The gadwall is the James Bond of the duck world. Slim, charming and sophisticated, they are also particular about where they dine and where they like to make love. The preferred choice seemed to be Russia, until now.

An Ibstock Cory Environmental Trust (ICET) funded project at Sandwell Valley nature reserve has created the sophisticated environment that discerning gadwalls consider irresistible and have settled down to raise a family.

Kate Horsfall, Assistant Site Manager said: "We see it as a great success that our nature reserve is so appealing to these fussy ducks that normally travel to Russia and Central Europe to breed, and we are very proud to have 45 young gadwall ducks on the reserve. This means that people in Sandwell get a rare opportunity to see young ducks on their doorstep."

She continued: "This is also important from a conservation perspective as the gadwall duck population in Russia is declining"

With less than 800 breeding pairs in the UK, the gadwall is uncommon as a breeding species. The RSPB’s site at Sandwell is the first site in the West Midlands County where gadwall ducks have settled to produce a family.



More...