The field journal
Read & learn
Field notes, seasonal round-ups and conservation stories from our correspondents.
Seasonal
Winter Wonders: A Beginner’s Guide to Our Teal and Wigeon
As the cold sets in, estuaries fill with whistling teal and grazing wigeon. Here’s how to tell them apart.
Toby Ashbridge · 1 min
Field notes
Counting Eiders: An Interview from the North Sea Coast
We spend a blustery morning with a sea-duck counter on the Firth of Forth.
Toby Ashbridge · 1 min
Conservation
The Pochard Puzzle: Why a Common Duck Is Now Red-Listed
Once a familiar sight on winter lakes, the pochard has declined sharply. What’s going on?
Dr. Mara Fenwick · 1 min
Conservation
The Mandarin’s Secret: How a Tree-Hole Duck Thrives in Britain
A jewel-bright escapee from Asia has quietly become one of our most treasured woodland ducks.
Dr. Mara Fenwick · 1 min
Junior
Become a Junior Duckologist: Your First Five Ducks!
A kid-friendly guide to the five ducks you can spot on almost any park walk.
Priya Nandakumar · 1 min
Field notes
Why the Mallard Really Does Rule the Roost
Familiar, adaptable and utterly cosmopolitan — we look at what makes the mallard the world’s most successful duck.
Dr. Mara Fenwick · 1 min