Mandarin Drakes ( Aix galericulata )

As part of Clickychick's birthday celebrations, we had a day out primarily to visit the Lakeland Aquarium in the south of the county.  With Kanyl along we headed south arriving in time for lunch.  When we entered the aquarium through one of those glass tunnels under a large "tank".  On one side were the sorts of fish you would find in Windermere, just a few yards away, the other had Sterlet, a fish I have never heard of before.  They looked like small Sturgeon, well only a meter or so compared to the Sturgeon's 2 to 3 m.  There was a notice saying "Keep an eye out for our diving ducks".

We thought nothing of this until one shot down right in front of Kayl's face.  Looking up we could see two pairs of legs in the water.  As we continued round there were exhibits of all sorts of freshwater and marine UK species plus various exotics.  As well as aquatic species there were Otters, Leafcutter ants various reptiles, Harvest Mice etc.

Those who have followed my journal for any length of time will know the birds just had to win.  These two fine fellows were sitting gazing at the water (just beyond the green in the bottom left) in a pen upstairs.  A walkway passed through the pen being placed directly over the "tunnel".