Return of the Blue-winged Teal

Following its apparent departure on 29th March, today the Blue-winged Teal returned to Sandy Water Park. It's interesting to speculate where it's been during this 10 day absence and possibility that it crossed the estuary into Glamorgan?

(c) Brian Thomas

No doubt its reappearance will raise a few doubts about the birds status as a genuine vagrant, but its behaviour has never indicated that it is likely to be of captive origin. Yes, it has been confiding at times, but I've yet to hear of it taking bread. On this point there was a Long-tailed Duck at Pwll a few years back, that after a period started following the resident Tufted Ducks coming to bread, eventually taking it itself; so even this behaviour would not necessarily prove conclusive. There's unlikely to a clear cut outcome on this one, but my foot is currently pretty firmly in the genuine camp.