I can almost set my calendar by the mallards’ arrival to our garden.  The same pair turned up the day before yesterday and almost immediately emptied the ground feeders and churned up the pond to a murky dark grey.  They’ve been coming for eight years, arriving every March and leaving in June, never to be seen again until the next year.  Up until last year, they would be in the garden almost every day, feeding, waddling into the pond now and again, and then just sitting on the grass as though they were enjoying their annual vacation.  Last year, their visits were less frequent and I’m wondering whether that is because we now have lots of ponds opposite our house, specially made to accommodate the great crested newts which have been displaced from the quarry.  Whatever, they still visit regularly and, despite the carnage they create in the pond, they are welcome.

However, I’m not sure about their daily schedule.  In past years, the drake has spent much more time here than the female.  She eats breakfast and, then, there is a period where she disappears all day and returns ravenous at tea-time.  I can only assume that she is caring for young somewhere, maybe down near the stream at the bottom of the field and, as drakes do, he lets her get on with it.  We have never seen any young, yet I guess they must breed and it would be nice if she was able to bring them to visit.  Since mallards have been known to live to 23 years, there’s a possibility they’ll still be coming for a few years to come.

Update – it’s the 2nd April and today I found 2 rather large eggs on the garden.  Both had been damaged and I can’t make up my mind whether they’re from the duck or from one of our many pheasants.  Whatever, this is the first time I’ve ever seen one of these eggs in the garden.  Maybe this time, we’ll have a nest.

Mystery solved!  Today I found the hen mallard sitting on a nest with 5 eggs at the top of the stream so here’s hoping for some tiny ducklings soon!  My only concern is that the eggs I found on the grass were probably taken by magpies so I hope she keeps a close eye on the remainder.

Today, the hen left the nest carrying something in her bill.  I checked the nest while she was away and now there are only 3 eggs.  At this rate, there’ll be none left unless she watches them more closely.

24 hours later, the mallards are still here but the nest is not.  While I have been out this morning, the eggs and nest have gone and there is a hole in its place.  Not sure what has happened but it’s very disappointing to see their efforts come to nothing in such a short time.

Three weeks later and she has laid an egg under one of our garden benches!  What is she playing at?