EGYPTIAN GOOSE

On our little walk up the river last night, we happened across this bird - pecking quite contentedly away from the huge flocks of Swans, Canada Geese and Grey Geese.

This is an Egyptian Goose. Very much smaller than a Grey or Canada Goose, more like large duck or Shelduck sized, with a prominent chocolate eye-patch and (normally) a very distinctive large white wing patch, they were introduced (probably to Woburn - normally the case!) a few decades ago as an ornamental bird.
Since then of course, the inevitable has happened, they've escaped, and now a substantial breeding population exists, mainly in the east of England.
Egyptian Geese are normally (in my limited experience, anyway) quite timid - so we feel quite privileged to have been able to feed this individual by hand!

We did spot a couple of other Egyptian Geese over on the Rivermead floodplains- displaying their more normal timid behaviour.

On returning home, Anna fed her favourite Goose, the Barnacle Goose (all on its lonesome in the main Canada/Grey Goose flock also) by hand - I thought I'd already uploaded photos of that Goose - as its been there all winter, but turns out I haven't - I'll give it a post in the future.