It was a ‘rare encounter’ indeed!
Just after I received my December issue of Bird Watching and read James Walsh’s article on Rare Encounters, I was at Langford Lake just outside Salisbury and a flock of 50-plus Canada Geese flew in and, among them was a solitary Ruddy Shelduck. He was quite at home with the geese and appeared to favour one particular individual whom he followed at a short distance around the Lake. Two weeks previously, I was at the same location and a similar number of Canadas arrived, this time accompanied by a solitary Greylag Goose. I am beginning to wonder what I will see on my next visit! Keith Hobbs, Whiteparish, near Salisbury