A pair of mallards (Anas platyrhynchos platyrhynchos) picking up scattered corn from the icy surface of a pond at WWT Llanelli
We always try to make a midwinter journey to the Llanelli Wetland Centre and this time it was an icy day, which made the ducks and geese eager to take the corn we offered.
It’s a bit slippery for this European goldeneye (Bucephala clangula)…
…those long-toed, splayed feet give this moorhen (Gallinula chloropus) an advantage on the icy surface
I have written many times before about WWT Llanelli – see some of my wildfowl posts here – so this time I will just let the pictures tell the story. The birds here are gathered from all over the world for conservation purposes…
Philippine Duck (Anas luzonica) on frosted grass
On reflection – this female mallard found a pool of unfrozen water
Shelduck – or should I say sheldrake, judging by the red knob on its beak, which is one of the few differences between male and female in this species… the Latin name is Tadorna tadorna
A general view of one of the ponds
I should be able to recognise these orange-twigged trees, but I can’t, although the red bushes are dogwood
Male Mandarin duck (Aix galericulata)
Smew (Mergus albellus)
Swan – Bewick’s swan, I think (Cygnus columbianus bewickii)
Swan geese (Anser cygnoides)
I think these pretty things are marbled teals (Marmaronetta angustirostris)
Cute female goldeneye – perhaps Barrow’s (Bucephala islandica)?
Red-breasted goose (Branta ruficollis)
Mr eider duck (Somateria mollissima mollissima)
Mrs eider
Cape Barren goose (Cereopsis novaehollandiae) – I love the little feet that look like black rubber granny shoes
Magpie geese (Anseranas semipalmata)
…crazy feet – not very webbed, which is probably where the semipalmata comes from in the Latin name
Alder cones and catkins
I think these are hazel catkins
I couldn’t put a name to these red berries, so thank you to Diana and Elaine (see comments) for identifying Cotoneaster, although I can’t pin down the exact species
Viburnum tinus
Half way between apples and rosehips?
Orange jelly fungus
Teasels
But what is this green stuff on top of the teasel head? Liverwort?
White-fronted goose (Anser albifrons). It’s late in the day and the shadows are lengthening
See you again soon – and I must make a New Year resolution to squat down and try to take the pictures at duck’s eye level next time… if my old knees can bear it!
Find more pictures from winter visits to the Llanelli Wetlands Centre here and summer visits here
The Squirrelbasket 
Great post. Thanks for these wonderful photo’s, especially the one who found the water not frozen.
Thank you.
I usually forget to get the reflection in the photo, but I’m learning…
All the best 🙂
Love the light and shade in the photos (as well as the subjects of course 🙂
Thanks.
There’s nothing like winter sun…
All the best 🙂
The orange trees look similar to the alders, in my neck of the woods, that turn the same color just before spring; or, they could be willows? Because photos of wildlife! The Mandarin duck looks similar to the Wood duck that I monitor during its mating season in a nearby wildlife sanctuary.
You could well be right about alders, as there were alders around – I just always look at them from close up or a long way away, never remembering to look at them from middle distance to make the connection and identification!
I always have to look at the pictures in my guide to make sure I identify mandarins and wood ducks correctly. They are clearly related – Aix galericulata (mandarin) and Aix sponsa (North American wood duck). I’m impressed that you are involved in monitoring the ducks!
Best wishes 🙂
I think your orange trees are willows. Great shots of all the birds and the ponds. I love those Marbled Teal.
I have trouble thinking of willows without imagining them as the weeping sort, but as someone else has also suggested willow, you could be right…
All the best 🙂
What a diversity of waterfowl! It looks like a great place to visit. We have a nice lake in our town, but I think there may only be six or so species. The Male Mandarin is quite showy.
Yes, we are very lucky here in the UK that we can thank Sir Peter Scott for his work in the conservation of wildfowl from all over the world. His original wildfowl centre was at Slimbridge (see my blog post here if you like). There is more about the man on the WWT website here.
As someone mentioned in another comment, the mandarin is quite like the American wood duck, which may be one of the birds in your own backyard.
All the best 🙂
What a lovely selection of photographs on such a clear and bright day. The red berries are a cotoneaster, we have the same in our garden but they usually don’t last long, the blackbirds and field fares love them.
Always better when the sun is shining in winter!
I had wondered about Cotoneaster, but then thought no, it must be something native. And I couldn’t quite find any pictures of a Cotoneaster with such long, olive-tree-like leaves.
All the best 🙂
I am also seeing Cotoneaster
Great, I will caption it 🙂
Wow what a great selection of water birds, some I have not seen before too..
The Eider duck is what got me started birdwatching which has lead my on to many a wonderful thing, from photographing wild flowers to hunting trees…
Great post.
Amanda xx
Thank you for your kind comments! You will see from this old post of mine that I rather like eiders, too…
I’m not sure I’ve ever seen you mention on your blog how you got started? Why eiders?
All the best 🙂
It looks like the perfect place for waterfowl. If it’s possible, they look very happy. 😉 Those Mandarin ducks are so colorful. It’s nifty that they all hang out there together. Happy New Year!
Yes, it’s a great environment – with plenty of food and water! I usually take photos just of the area where the wildfowl from foreign lands have been gathered together, but the WWT centre also has a huge area of wonderful wetlands with native and migrant wildfowl and other birds and animals.
All the best 🙂