Species Account
Extract from Bird Report 2024
Introduced breeding resident.
Confirmed breeding records came from five sites. At Ickwell Green there was a female with four young on 8th May, with then a female there with at least ten young on 19th May. At Southill Lake there was a female with nine small young on 21st May, and on the River Ouzel floodplain, at Leighton Buzzard, there was a female and one advanced duckling on 27th May. There were recently fledged young at Upper Caldecote FCA on 8th August (no other details), three pairs in suitable breeding habitat in Ampthill Park and at least one occupied nest at Luton Hoo. During the April to May period they were noted at a further 13 sites, but with no evidence of breeding activity.
During the year, most of the larger counts came from Woburn Park, with a peak of 53 on 31st August. There were several other counts from there above 20, mainly in May, September, November and December. Elsewhere, high counts were made at Clophill Lakes, with at least 27 on 20th January, 21 on 11th September and a peak of 34 on 27th December. The largest number in the Southill Lake area was nine over Warden Warren heading towards the lake on 12th November. A count of eight at Blunham Lakes on 3rd July was considered noteworthy for there by a regular observer.
