This article first appeared in the Annual Report of the Birmingham (latterly West Midlands) Bird Club for 1945. Bird names/ spellings were used as given.
A new breeding record for Worcestershire was created by the successful breeding- for the first time of a pair of Garganey near Bromsgrove.
The pair were first noted on March 25th feeding in much the same place as was favoured by Garganey in the two preceding years. By April 8th they were joined by another drake which however did not stop. The pair was seen again on April 21st by which time their behaviour suggested a possibility of nesting, and that view was strengthened by the fact that only the drake was seen from May 1st to May 15th, There was no sign of either of the pair on May 22nd, but on the evening of May 30th the duck and six young were seen with the drake in attendance.
Subsequent visits were paid to watch the developments of the brood, which for the first few weeks sought the protection of willows that overhang the pool. This they did at the slightest provocation, and it was only when the young ducks became more independent that it was possible to make more detailed observations. By June 27th the young ducks were practically full grown, having grown surprisingly well the preceding week. From July 2nd onwards only five out of the original brood of six could be seen with the duck and by July 5th it was practically impossible to distinguish the young from their mother, whose behaviour however always singled her out. By this time they were feeding in open water, and had become surprisingly tame and even allowed a close approach without undue alarm ; it was only after an effort had been made that it was possible to put them up in flight. They were seen for the last time an July 8th.
A single Garganey duck appeared on the same water on August 26th and stayed until September 2nd.