Playing cricket in the garden, after slightly rowdy summer BBQ with assorted children and grandparents, the ball landed in the plants on the far side of our small pond. Bearing in mind that this is an urban garden on the edge of the West Midlands conurbation imagine my surprise when furtling around in the alchemilla mollis to find a mallard hidden away. As I yelped in surprise (everyone thought I'd come across a snake!) she moved sideways to reveal an impeccable nest and five or six large eggs. 
The pair of mallards had been visiting our garden for bits of bread, having a little play on the pond, frightening the fish, trampolining on the heron net and staring out our cat for about two months now but I never imagined that they would nest and lay in this town garden.
The worry is that if the chicks hatch they have a host of possible predators including the local cats, foxes and wily heron. Here's hoping it won't be a bloodbath...we're considering adapting the rabbit run as a safe house?
The pair of mallards had been visiting our garden for bits of bread, having a little play on the pond, frightening the fish, trampolining on the heron net and staring out our cat for about two months now but I never imagined that they would nest and lay in this town garden.
The worry is that if the chicks hatch they have a host of possible predators including the local cats, foxes and wily heron. Here's hoping it won't be a bloodbath...we're considering adapting the rabbit run as a safe house?
That has made my day - many thanks for the lovely photos - especially beautiful ducks bottom ! Keep up the blog we cornwall folk love a good story x
ReplyDeleteYarny, how do you put photos on your site? Love a very technologically illiterte MH x
ReplyDeleteps check out the God diaries (www.thegoddiaries.blogspot.com) good conversations! MH
ReplyDeletepps Chocolate Bunny, can't find your site, where is it? MH
ReplyDeleteHi there JollyGood, thank you very much for visiting The God Diaries.
ReplyDeleteBTW if you are into quilting you might like to look at this blog by Mouse Medicine