Phoebe Vaughan is duckery warden at Slimbridge Wetland Centre. Follow her blog throughout the seasons in order to discover the highs and lows of working as an Aviculture Warden at WWT Slimbridge. Follow Phoebe's diary and keep up to date with all the feathery goings-on at the duckery.
Duck diary
European Eider.
European Eider ducks are a widely under-rated local duck with a wonderous lifestyle and distinct specialities. They can often be found in coastal off shore areas in the northern UK during the breeding season, and as far south as the Welsh coast during
2 March 2012
Just a few pretty pictures on a gorgeous day.
It has been a prefect day for the photographers amongst us! Continuing my obsession with South Georgian pintail, I snapped this stunning little bird sunning itself in the South American pen. The last of our James' flamingos is also enjoying the sunshine.
25 February 2012
Say "hi" to Jerry!
Jerry is the last New Zealand blue duck in WWT, British and European collections. As such he is not only a rarity, but inevitably; alone. Jerry's normal home is at WWT Arundel where he resides in a beautiful spring fed exhibit designed just for him, but h
24 February 2012
Nene nesting continues!
Apologies all for posting silence but I have had to take some time out from working on site. I can however inform you that the Nene are beginning to settle down to breed at an alarming rate of knots! Some of our oldest and most dedicated pairs are making
20 February 2012
Winter hits hard
Finally, winter has arrived. As harsh and cold as it is, the ground really does need to harden up and allow the ground water to freeze in order to ward off any bacteria and disease from 2011. The birds are dealling with it really rather well, and we have
4 February 2012
Heavy Nene; yes it's time!
Everywhere you look Nenes are marauding in pairs. This can only mean one thing; that the breeding season is about to commence! After a more formal census is completed I can hopefully update you on all of the new marriages, divorces, affairs and losses, bu
11 January 2012
Merry Christmas from the Duckery!
26 December 2011
Some new arrivals in Wader shore.
A new species arrived in Wader shore 2 weeks ago... These lovely black-winged stilts were hatched in 2011 and are looking to spend their first winter in with the Avocet and Redshank. Hatched from different clutches, the female appears much younger than th
17 December 2011
Eric! Feathers and independence.
Just look how they have grown! The three Erics are finally feeding, feathering and fending for themselves. The relief at the Duckery is palpable now that we can get on with our work without worrying whether behind the scenes the flamingos are voluntarily
7 December 2011
Eric! Bending beaks.
Introducing my favourite flamingo photo to date... They truly are so wonderful with those soft little eyes and geeky aspect. Having becoming weaned from syringe food (and regretting it almost constantly) number 2's beak started to bend almost over
26 November 2011
Eric! Teenage-hood looms.
Teenage-hood is looming as feather quills push the skin and down begins to shed. The babes are currently being weaned, and someone is none too happy about it! Number 2 is by far the biggest of the three flams, and through a mixture of greed and blind luc
22 November 2011
Walk with a Warden day success.
Every year I hold a Walk with a Warden event where we collect, ring and mark the juvenile Nenes for future breeding, and this year was no exception. Great thanks to the 9 intrepid helpers who booked up. We were blessed with sunshine, but not with luck.
14 November 2011
The African white-backs meet for the first time...
Just a quick note to show you this wonderful little group... These busy little bees are the complete result of the two clutches of white-backed ducks we had from our breeding aviaries this year. At a tasty 2:4 ratio, these beauties are some of the most e
3 November 2011
Bird moves get underway
The season is over; bird moves have begun! Already up to 150 birds have passed to and fro as part of the seasonal distribution of stock. It is a sad and exciting moment to see the birds you worked so hard to breed leave your care. They hatch and grow into
21 October 2011
Not autumn already?
I was shocked and stunned this morning to notice that as I fed the collection birds in the gosling field; Autumn had arrived. These classic autumn images; of birds tussling for the prime feeding position and that low piercing autumnal light, are one of my
13 October 2011