An ornamental pond

On the edge of my estate is an ornamental pond. Of a reasonable size, it has walls which proudly declare the name of the estate, and at one end it has a fountain.

It is the sort of pond that in the UK would have an array of Mallards, Coots, Moorhens, and a couple of domestic escapees.

In Australia, the pond has plenty of Pacific Black Ducks, which are really the sort of equivilent of the Mallard - they turn up everywhere there is a patch of water and a toddler holding a slice of bread.

This pond is also home to several Eurasion Coots, something we Brits brought over with us many, many years ago, to make the place feel more like home.

There are then Wood Ducks (which also turn up everywhere, and not necessarily where there is water), a good number of Australasian Grebes (quite similar to our Little Grebe), and of course, a couple of domestic escapees - in this case a pair of rather large white ducks.

The pond has a path around it, and a couple of benches. The sort of bench suitable for a person having a gentle stroll or bike ride to have a sit down and a rest on.

The sort of bench suitable for almost falling off when you realise that there is something else out there on that ornamental pond that isn't a Pacific Black Duck, or even, indeed, a duck at all.

There are six black and white birds, with long beaks, and even longer legs. Very, very long legs.

Yep, on the ornamental pond (complete with fountain) on the edge of the estate, are six Black-winged Stilts.

And sat on the bench by the ornamental pond, is a very happy girl whose only other sighting of Black-winged Stilt was the long-staying and sadly very lost individual that turned up at Titchwell year in, year out :-)

Cheryl xx