The birds are back

Every year pair of mallards arrive in our garden to try out our ponds.

The female has decided that the reeds in the corner would be an ideal location for a nest and sets to work building it.

Meanwhile the male just swims around , clearly impatient to get on with life.

At last an egg is safely delivered into the nest.

Just as the mallards were about to leave a morehen inspects the nest area only to find it is too late!

A female mallard builds a nest from leaves and grasses and lines it with down plucked from her breast! Eggs are laid between mid-March and the end of July. A normal clutch is about 12 eggs, laid at one to two day intervals. After each egg is laid, the clutch is covered to protect it from predators.

It is now day three and there are three eggs in the nest and we watch with anticipation.