I pay close personal interest in birds seen in Felbrigg Park, my local patch. It was therefore with considerable annoyance that, when we returned from our recent Scottish holiday, I received the news that I’d missed a male Wood Duck on the lake during my absence! Not that anyone would be claiming that this exotic looking duck from North America is anything other than an escape or, at best, ‘of unknown origin’. It was with great relief then that early this morning I achieved something of a ‘grip-back’ when I found the bird, together with a male Mandarin, sat on the dam wall. They eventually flew off over the lake and woods towards the west. What ever it’s origins it’s still a damn fine duck..