Simply Marble-ous

Marbled Teal or Duck (Marmaronetta angustirostris) 03, a photo by Mike at Sea on Flickr.

There is just something sedate and distinguished about marbled teals, or marbled ducks as they can be called. Perhaps it´s the creamy-chocolatey sort of ice-cream coloured plumage they have or the shape of the head, but they always look so calm and relaxed. They can´t relax though. This is a bird declared vulnerable due to habitat loss and hunting.

They formerly bred all around the Mediterranean but now is restricted to a few sites in Spain, NW Africa and Israel, as well as Iran and Iraq. It´s marvellous then to see one in the wild and with a nest so close to the walkways. I hope it does well, as to see more of these around the Tablas would be fantastic.