TEAL (Anas crecca)

Increasing winter visitor and passage migrant.

The earliest record is of one shot at Ashtree Wood on 5 October 1907.

Occasional visitors to Fairlands Valley Lakes between October and April, from where they were first recorded in April 1979 when a female was present for nine days.

Possibly overlooked, there were no further records until 1997 when a pair were seen on 17 April and a single bird seen on 20 October.

Between 2000 and 2009 there were five records and between 2010 and 2019 three records.

Since 2020 records have increased significantly. From the 28 August to 24 December 2022 and 30 August to 30 January 2024 birds were seen almost daily. The most recent record is of four on 15 March 2024.

The most seen together are, nine (three drakes, six females) on 18 October 2023.

Away from Fairlands Valley Lakes, one was seen at Watery Grove on 2 August 1974.