Rtas' main collection

Adam, I would really enjoy to see your two black swans together.

Alain, they are not what we, wildlife collectors, would seek first. Yet, they are wild animals too and I think these kind of species should get more attention from us.

Roger, exactly, I am a birdwatcher and having no black swan was worse than having a black mute swan to me !
I hope you'll carry on telling me what are your choices, comparing our collections is always interesting.

I'm away from home until Wednesday but I can show you when I get back. Hope that's alright. :)

IV Birds and reptiles

B) Birds

1) Waterfowls

b) Geese

Species : Greylag goose
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Figures on this picture (from left to right) :
- Schleich 13679 Grey Goose Gander (2011-2013)
- Schleich 13680 Grey Goose Chicks (2011-2013)
- Schleich 13678 Grey Goose (2011-2013)

Fun facts :
- These figures may be sold as part of the Farm World series but the greylag goose, ancestor to our domestic grey geese, is a wild migratory bird species and thus, I definitely needed it for my collection. European bird figures are too rare to be refused !
- All three figures were already retired when I started collecting again so I had to find them during my scavenger hunts. I found the goose in an independant toy shop and the gander and chicks in garden centres.
- I have seen greylag geese in the wild.

No problem Adam.

I am enjoying your wonderful photos, Benjamin. I don't collect any of these, so I am just admiring your photos. Shouldn't the Schleich swan cygnets be grey? Or do not all swans have grey cygnets?

Well in my model the cygnets are grey. For all other species of swans cygnets are white-grey coloured. The coscoroba swan's cygnets look like tiny shelducks whereas the whooper's cygnets have adorable little pink feet.

Very nice geese Benjamin. I got these figures back when they were released at my village's toy shop. Good job as they can be quite hard to find.

RtasVadumee wrote:

III Amphibians

Species : Australian green tree frog (? ), blue poison dart frog, European tree frog (? )
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Figures on this picture (from left to right) :
- Schleich 14407 Frog (2002-2016)
- Schleich 42254 Frog set (2015-still in production)

Fun facts :
- The 14407 frog's species is open to interpretation but since it looks like an Australian green tree frog, it was part of the pet series and the Australian green tree frog is known to be one of the most popular pet frogs throughout the world, I consider it is this particular species.
- The blue frog from the 42254 frog set is definitely the well-known blue poison dart frog but the green one really looks like an European tree frog. I don't know why Schleich sold these two species together while they live on different continents. Anyway, I really like both of them and think they are nicely painted. However, the mould is the same for both and I think it works better as an European tree frog.
- I got the "Australian" frog in my childhood, probably from local shop, and I bought the frog set in my favourite Schleich shop.
- I have seen blue poison dart frogs and Australian green tree frogs in zoos (the first time was in London zoo : I remember they were presented in a false bathroom with toilets, as green tree frogs are known to go inside houses in Australia and take refuge in toilets) and European tree frogs in the wild.

Thank you for your illuminating facts. I was always searching for a European frog species, which this model represents. I never thought about the Australian Green Tree Frog.
Thanks to you, I have now a species, which fits the best with this model:)

Bullyland's figure also is a European tree frog: [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

rogerpgvg wrote:

I am enjoying your wonderful photos, Benjamin. I don't collect any of these, so I am just admiring your photos. Shouldn't the Schleich swan cygnets be grey? Or do not all swans have grey cygnets?

Thank you Roger !
Indeed :
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

You're welcome Megaptera !

Adam, how did you find a swan figure with grey cygnets ?! Also, I never asked you, but how did you get that stunning female ostrich ? I would really like to have one !

I got my two female ostriches specially made by Schleich, I don't know if they'll make you them though. Its Schleich, a brand of mystery

IV Birds and reptiles

B) Birds

1) Waterfowls

c) Ducks

Species : Mandarin duck, mallard
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Figures on this picture (from left to right) :
- Papo 51166 Mandarin Duck (2017-still in production)
- Schleich 13727 Drake, Swimming (2013-2016)
- Schleich 13823 Duck (2017-2019)
- Schleich 13824 Drake (2017-still in production)
- Schleich 13653 Mallard Duck (2010-2016)

Fun facts :
- I had a love story with a female mandarin duck when I was a student in Reading. Her name was Mandy and she had been tamed by my friend, the "robin whisperer". I used to spend whole afternoons with her, by the lakeside, looking after her chicks. She recognised me and came to greet me anytime she saw me. Well, I have to admit I always brought her some food, that may explain why she was so friendly ! I loved her so much that my friend named her mate after me : Ben. She will always be "the duck of my life"
- I bought the mandarin duck in my usual Papo shop. I bought the two most recent mallards in my favourite Schleich shop, found the 13727 swimming drake in a garden centre and ordered the 13653 female online.
- I have seen mandarin and mallard ducks in the wild.

Advicot wrote:

I got my two female ostriches specially made by Schleich, I don't know if they'll make you them though. Its Schleich, a brand of mystery

How much did you pay them ? Did you ask them to make them for you or was it a kind of limited edition ?

I have given you a PM

I have four mallards in my collection and two mandarins. I am deciding if I should get a big flock of mallards in my collection. In real life I have had mandarins, very gorgeous. When I bought my mandarins I got into my local newspaper for spending a rather large sum of money on them

I have the same swimming duck end standing mallard (and mandarin of course!) as you have plus an old Papo mallard fluttering wings.. and you know what?.. I found an old Bully swann I had completely forgotten! :) and I love your love story! :)

Thanks Alain !

Adam, why would you pay for mandarin ducks in Britain while they can be watched for free in the wild ?

And here comes another thread with good species identifications :O Guys like you, megaptera, blaine or pardofelis really make me poor. Cause now I have to add new species to my wishlist :)

Seems that I have to improve my reptiles and amphibians collection...

Ahah, we are all here to ruin each other Duck !

But trust me... there are far worse ways to spend our money than this sane hobby, I know what I am talking about...

Benjamin and the Mandarin sounds as a good tittle for a novel.
I love the Papo mandarin duck, it was brave from Papo releasing one when we knew already the fabulous Safari figure, but surely they do not disappoint once it is magnificent. I have the Safari in my collection and I recomend that you get some of the Maia & Borges if possible, they are decently sized and very beautiful too. I have all of them as the small sized from AAA.

I am checking the Maia and Borges Water and Lake birds series and I note some species I am very familiar with and would love to have in my collection, such as the tufted and wood ducks. They even made divers and grebes ! Thank you for pointing them out to me, I thougt M&B only made sea animals.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

IV Birds and reptiles

B) Birds

2) Sea birds

Species : Atlantic puffin, wandering albatross, European herring gull
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Figures on this picture (from left to right) :
- Schleich 14721 Puffin (2014-2018)
- CollectA 88765 Wandering Albatross (2016-still in production)
- Schleich 14720 Seagull (2014-2018)

Fun facts :
- The puffin was one the very first two figures I got when I started collecting again. It happened when I entered a children's book and board game shop which was run by the guy who sold me Schleich figures in my childhood. He now had his own shop and still sold Schleich models. Obviously he became my favourite Schleich provider again and most of the figures I show you on this topic come from his lovely shop. That day, I bought the pangolin and my father bought me the puffin as a gift.
- The CollectA wandering albatross was a huge disappointment to me. Although it is a wonderful figure, it is much larger than I expected when I ordered it online and does not fit well with my penguins next to which I display it, in Antarctica/Southern ocean. However, as we can see on this picture, it is not so disproportionate compared with other sea birds and especially the puffin ! Nevertheless I may still try to get the Safari version which seems a little smaller. If anyone has it in his/her collection, I would be very interested in seeing it next to another figure such as penguins from Schleich or CollectA for example.
- The European herring gull is a pretty ugly figure, poorly painted and even missing the red spot on the beak. But I had it for free so I am not complaining...
- I have seen herring gulls and puffins in the wild but I have never seen a wandering albatross (nor any other albatross species).

Update : Were added to the collection
- Papo 56049 Cormorant (2020-still in production)
- Safari 150729 Giant Albatross (2017-still in production)
- Papo 56038 Albatross (2017-2020)
For further information, please check the addition topics.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

You must have just got unlucky as my herring gull has a well painted beak and the red spot on its beak. By Wednesday I can get you a photo. When I got my albatross it was my second one in my collection, the first one was the Happy Kin Toy's one, I was surprised by its really big wingspan. I probably won't get the Safari model as it won't fit on my shelves and is too similar to the CollectA model.