Saturday 30th April

Smudge is down to five ducklings and the male is still with her.   She does seem to be looking out for the chicks better than she was.

The little mallard duck down at the barge moorings is down to three ducklings and is being pursued by male mallards.

The Chunterers have seven goslings – the goose near the mill flats – 9.  They keep falling down between two paving slabs.  I think one may have badly damaged a wing although I can’t be sure.

The neighbour seems to have left her nest – it is completely decimated now.  Wonder why the preditors didn’t take the eggs from the abandoned nest next door, but then they may be aware those eggs were very old, probably rotten.

The China goose has 11 eleven. 

It looks as if it is only the second female that is sitting on the nest under the hawthorn tree now.  Had the first female decided her own eggs are not going to hatch now?

The golden mallard mum still has 10 ducklings today and the lone abandoned one is still trying to join her brood.  It seems to succeed some of time then she chases it away.