After spending Saturday at a concert in Newport and rain forecast for Sunday morning I decided I needed a lay in but I woke up at 4.45 am and was wide awake. I noticed there was no rain and I felt I better have a walk so I headed for Cwm Cadlan but has I was approached Hirwaun I remembered that the long staying Garganey was still present in Neath. As I had missed one last weekend I decided to go to Gnoll Park. As it was nice early I got there pretty quick only to find it does not open until 8.00 am, so I left my car on the housing estate just outside and walked in. It's always nice to go somewhere new and I remembered C. W. Griswold's post saying it was by the second pond and near the café. I found the pond very quickly and I started my search. It's a nice size pond and it had lots of Mallard and most were sleeping. I picked my way through them one by one but could not find the Garganey. So next I checked the lower pond but still no sign. I was starting to think it had shipped out and being one not to give up I went back to first pond and started again. I found a duck sleeping on a wire basket and I got the scope on it and I was scratching my head thinking what is it and all of a suddenly it came to me it was a Drake Mandarin in a plumage I am not use to seeing. Well I kept checking and right at the last moment when I was about to give up I looked down and right behind a small tuft of grass was the Garganey fast asleep. A Mallard walked up to it and it woke up daffy and it moved closer to me and it just went straight back to sleep. On this pond and the two other were a single Goosander and another Mandarin and a Mute Swan with 9 cygnets. Next .
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