First ducklings of the season

Woke up to find ten mallard ducklings had been born. Just after we spotted them there was a problem with a couple of drakes seemingly harassing the mother who flew off with her partner and then just circled back to the spot where the ducklings were. They meanwhile had instantly disappeared into the reeds to reappear as a fluffy mass as soon as the parents were back.

New species - Blackcap

Not an unusual species but seen for the first time yesterday in the grounds after living here for almost four years. I had seen one in the village before - about nine years ago so the blackcap is like another recent new species, the bullfinch, in being not often seen in the village.

Mallard disturbed

I inadvertently scuttled a mallard duck sitting on a nest of eggs on Sunday. I was about to finish off some ivy clearance where previously I had pulled some thick ivy away from the wall of an outbuilding. The nest was built resting on the ivy ledge I had created. She flew away at the point where I was just a couple of feet away. I have no idea whether one disturbance will lead to an abandonment but I am staying away from the area in the hope that she has returned.

The pipistrelles are out and about

For the last three nights there have been pips hawking in the garden. Tonight I dragged myself away from the Champions league to see if they were also in residence. I saw no bats exiting the normal roost entrance but there was at one point five separate pipistrelles hawking in the garden. I can only assume at this point they are roosting somewhere else

It's all kicking off moatside

The breeding season tensions are rising and the water fowl are getting wired. First of all there was rape and violence on the lawn this morning. Four mallard drakes had got hold of a duck. One had her neck in its bill, a second was getting on top of her and two more were crowding in as well. Our presence at the window scuttled the drakes and the duck cleared off. I have noticed similar behaviour before. It's as if there are couples on the one hand who quietly swim around together, and gangs of lager lout drakes on the other who take what they want by force. Or am I being anthropomorphic?
Meanwhile the temperature is rising with the moorhens as well. After some months of general mingling there was a moorhen altercation this morning which ended up with one bird escaping to a branch about fifteen feet up in a Scots Pine tree. They look rather comical when perched due to the size of their legs and feet and they don't often head for the trees.

Mallard mayhem

The breeding preparations erupted into aggression yesterday. I heard a loud splashing sound and looked out to see two mallard drakes chasing each other round and round in a tight circle. They looked intent on violence but I am not sure whether much contact was actually made. The confrontation turned into a chase, first on the water and then into the air. On the second circuit round, the lone female, who presumably was the reason for the aggression decided she had had enough of the testosterone action, and flew away.

This episode, with two drakes and one duck, follows a period of a couple of weeks where there has been two ducks and one drake around - swimming happily together. I am not sure what sort of selection process was going on, if any.

Prior to that we had a period of a couple of weeks when there were at least two and sometimes three separate pairs of mallards all looking like they had selected their mates.

The more I see of mallards, the more I find it difficult to draw any conclusions as to their social patterns.

New species - but not welcome

Yesterday I found a ladybird in the lounge and it was not obvious to me what sort it was. Investigation showed it to be a Harlequin ladybird - an invasive and destructive species from Asia. According to some sources this is very bad news for some of our domestic ladybirds and other beetles. It is spreading North and West and it is not new to the Midlands. Having checked the pictures I remember some larvae that I found last year which may be the Harlequin's larvae. I will need to find the photographs I took at the time to be sure. I found a ladybird outside today and I am pleased to say it was a 7-spot.