Ruddy Shelduck on GP

2nd February 2025 - David F spotted a female Ruddy Shelduck on GP lake recently, along with a Greylag. 

The Ruddy Shelduck, which was also spotted on GP lake a couple of times last year, is a non-native species which was originally brought from Asia into private collections. However, escapees have been recorded in the UK since the 1950s, and these may well have gone on to establish a naturalised population. Non-native naturalised birds also reach the UK from the near continent, where sizeable populations now exist.