Country diary: Egyptian geese are wild about this pond

Petersfield, Hampshire: These showy African birds were introduced to Britain in the 17th century, but there is now a self-sustaining feral populationWe pushed off from the jetty and rowed towards the quieter south-east side of the lake, the chatter of picnickers on the heath and the rusty creak of the roundabout in the children's playground fading into the distance. The moulted feathers and downy seed heads that strew the silt-laden water looked like the aftermath of a pillow fight. We drifted, savouring the languid warmth of the late afternoon as we watched sand and house martins swooping down to skim the surface for insects. Above them, swifts scythed through the air and a heron flapped past on flaggy wings. Nearing the shore we dug our oars edgeways into the mud, punting over the shallows. Jewel-bright common blue damselflies and broad-bodied chaser dragonflies danced across a floating carpet of amphibious bistort (Persicaria amphibia), pausing to perch on the short, blush-pink flower spikes. As we sculled into deeper water, we were surrounded by a flotilla of juvenile mallards. They trailed in our wake as we set out to circumnavigate the willow-covered islet in the centre of the lake. Continue reading...