Fernandez Comes to Stay

Ninesprings Lake is the new home to an unusual-looking duck after South Somerset District Council’s Countryside Rangers rescued it from a town centre this month.

A local resident found the bird - which was later identified as a Muscovy duck - wandering around the St Thomas’ Cross area of Yeovil in February with a badly damaged wing and missing feathers from its tail.

West Hatch RSPCA centre took the injured bird in but without any identity rings it went unclaimed by owners.

South Somerset District Council’s Countryside Ranger, Rachael Lappage took the call from the RSPCA two months later and agreed that Yeovil Country Park could rehome the bird in the park’s Ninesprings lake.

She said, “We received a request to use our lake for a duck that was in need of rehabilitation and of course I agreed that it could stay - we’ve now named it ‘Fernandez’.

“I have been told that he could have been dumped, stray, or simply very lost - but we are happy to become his new owners. Apparently he caused a bit of a mystery when he was first reported as people didn’t know what he was - the vets had heard it was some sort of Goose - it must be his unusual looks.”

The duck - whose species is native to Mexico and South America and has a bright red face - now joins the eight cygnets at the country park which hatched last week.

Find out more about the Country Park including walking routes and park development plans.