I was hearing about sightings of a rare Mandarin Duck that was making his appearance on Milwaukee’s lakeshore. Chatter of various sightings were coming from many of my birding and wildlife groups. Could it be true? Soon, photos started to pop up in those same groups and I knew we needed to head down to Milwaukee and see for ourselves.

We took the three hour trip hoping to catch a glimpse and this guy did NOT disappoint! Our son, daughter-in-law, and grandkids joined us. It was an exciting event for all of us. Mainly because many photographers had made numerous attempts to see this little guy, and we lucked out on our first visit! We did make a couple stops along Lake Michigan before spotting him on the South Shore.

When we arrived there were a couple of photographers already camped out but soon after more started showing up. Word travels fast! Here is a short video of this fascinating duck. How did it get here? How did it end up in Wisconsin hanging out with a flock of Mallards? Was it an escapee from a zoo? Was it someones exotic pet that was released into the wild? Or was it a confused migration flight that brought this guy all the way here from the far east of China or Japan? Your guess is as good as mine! I have always loved a good mystery. I am just not sure this is one that we will ever know the answer to how he landed here. Enjoy my video and share your thoughts.

Happy Hooking…and Birding!!

Fuad & Shannon
(and Nadia!)