Pictures of the male suggest the painter gave up “colouring-in” after the front third: the head and chest have an unusual brown/yellow/pink combination, with the rest of the body greys, whites and blacks. As usual, the female is harder to ID with her Mallard-like camouflaged plumage, and the male is similar outside the breeding season. Wigeon are dabbling or surface-feeding ducks, and can be spotted in winter at Knotford Nook and (especially) Lindley Wood reservoir, where their distinctive, haunting whistle can be heard across the water. Their French name Canard Siffleur - translates as Whistling Duck. Most Wigeon seen in Britain have returned from Scandinavia or Russia, though some do now breed here, especially in the north.
By Neil Griffin Photo by Pixabay
