Like A Duck To Water
Breeding ornamental wildfowl may start as a hobby but it can become a way of life. Caroline Bankes meets some of the smitten
Just a few miles away lurks Surrey's commuter sprawl but at Busbridge Lakes the unnatural sounds of too many people in too many cars are bliss-fully absent. Here it is as silent as a ruined monastery except for the lulling murmur of thousands of wildfowl.
When the Douetils acquired the lakes 30 years ago even the wildfowl's voice was missing. There wasn't a coot on the place, let alone anything as decorative as a duck. Then Fleur Douetil was given a pair of Carolina wood ducks. They promptly flew off. Un-daunted, she bought more fowl, concentrating on the "easier" species - Carolinas, mandarins, pintail and the less timid teal. One pond was hot-wired so the birds did not disappear down Reynard's gullet and sur-plus stock was sold to fund additions.
What began as a dabble turned into a full-time job. 'I stupidly said to the children, 'In eight years' time my aim is to be better than Slimbridge,"' says Mrs Douetil. That was ambitious, given that the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust's 800-acre reserve, started by Sir Peter Scott in 1946, now has one of the world's largest collections of exotic wildfowl.
Her husband, hopes of a relaxing retirement dashed, started digging, and more pens were erected, the lakes dredged and landscaped, and tree planting undertaken to reduce the wind-chill, which is often severe as their 40-acre valley is in a frost pocket.
Springs feed the lakes with water pure enough for a decent malt but the conditions do not suit all the birds. "We just keep the common eiders as many of the rarer ones, such as king eiders, need deeper, colder water - and no vegetation."
Most wildfowl are wary of long growth that can shelter their blood enemy but at Busbridge they could - if they but knew -relax. Ten years ago the Douetils decided to fox-proof all 20 acres of the lakes. Today some 3,000 wildfowl of 90 species sit secure behind an electrified fence 8ft high and 2ft deep, the whole masked by hillside trees.
The collection is designed to meet three criteria: interest, colour and suitability The latter has had varying interpretations since Busbridge opened its magnificent black swan gates to the public in 1977. Some geese, for example, fell foul of the suitability clause after pecking one granny too many. Going public was essential to meet the increasing bills for feed and staff. It was the right move. The grounds are a Grade II* heritage garden and are open 22 days a year but never during the vital breeding times. "I am much more interested in breeding than in being open to the public. This is not a commercial venture," says Mrs Douetil, resolutely.
Selling surplus stock is, however, essential. "I haven't had thousands of pounds to throw into it. There is no way I could look after this place unless we did sell surplus stock and export." The core 800 breeding stock includes 90 species; last year 1,000 wildfowl were bred. Price reflects the difficulty in breeding, with mandarins and Carolinas selling for around £45 a pair; £600 to £700 for a Pacific brent goose; and a whacking £6,000 at the top end for the harlequins and king eiders which, like many sea ducks, are difficult to keep. The price does not always reflect the rarity in the wild. Laysan teal, small, brown ducks, "not attractive, but great characters", are down to 17 on their native Pacific island but at £40 are the cheapest birds at Busbridge thanks to a successful captive breeding programme.
There are definite fashions in wildfowl. The current craze is for Brazilian teal. "They are ordinary-looking brown ducks. At one time no one wanted them, now everyone does," says Mrs Douetil. Others in vogue are bronze wing ducks which carry a £400 price tag despite their aggressive streak, and, perversely, the Pacific brent because it is a reluctant breeder.
Breeding at Busbridge is based on a "nature's best" philosophy. "I've gone full circle from technology back to basics," says Mrs Douetil. The swans and geese are left to raise their own but as the more vulnerable ducklings may be bombarded by avian predators and torpedoed by pike the rarer varieties are hatched in incubators and brooded indoors. The system works well and last year Mrs Douetil won the International Waterfowl Breeders Award, a big feather in her cap. Today though she has to shelter her charges from what she considers to be a more insidious threat in the form of new EU legislation.
From 1 June close-ringing is mandatory under an EU Regulation for all Annex A (endangered) birds. Close rings must be fitted to their legs when the birds are 10 to 20 days old; they cannot be slipped over the feet later and so provide proof that a bird is captive-bred. Each ring has a bird number, is colour-coded for the year and carries the breeder's identification number. This law was introduced to help monitor the trade in endangered species. Some of the more popular captive-bred waterfowl were exempted after pressure from Aviornis UK, an organisation set up at Busbridge to provide breeders with guidance on legislation and close-ringing......
....For inspiration as to what can be achieved when the dross has been cleared and the slime dredged, every volunteer should pay a visit to Busbridge Lakes where birds galore thrive in a natural world.
Busbridge Lakes, Hambledon Road, near Godalming, Surrey, tel 01483 421955, is next open from x to x August. The British Waterfowl Association can be contacted on 01969 663693. Malcolm Rymer's three-hour video Breeding Ornamental Waterfowl, price £24.95 (incl p&p) is available from Pinfold Waterfowl, Halstead, Tilton-on-the-Hill, Leicestershire LE7 9DJ, tel 0116 2597626. For further information on legisla-tion and close-rings contact Nick Worth, chairman of Aviornis UK, tel 01406 701420.
THE FIELD July 1997 All above text and logos are courtesy of the publication |
