Let sleeping ducks lie

Several weeks passed before I was able to check on the progress of our three mallard ducklings again, and in this time the trio had transformed almost beyond recognition into fully fledged young ducks. At around two months old they were now able to fly and were nearing their independence. Although still lacking their distinctive…

Milestones

Ducklings, like all baby birds, grow up remarkably quickly and with each passing week the five young mallards were transforming before my very eyes. As time passed the mallard ducklings grew more and more accustomed to my regular visits to the waterway, and they and their mother would greet me with enthusiastic peeping calls before…

Growing pains

This summer I enjoyed one of the most rewarding encounters with some of my favourite birds, the often underappreciated mallard ducks. The journey began with a chance encounter with a newly hatched brood of eight mallard ducklings… I first encountered the ducklings at just a few hours old when they were tiny and extremely vulnerable….

New arrivals

With autumn just around the corner and the mallard drakes of Aberystwyth harbour already moulting into their eclipse plumage signalling the end of the breeding season, it looked as though I had missed the opportunity to meet any ducklings this year. It was therefore a very pleasant surprise last week to stumble across a brand…

Fight or flight

It’s now mid May and for many birds the breeding season is now in full swing. Down in the harbour waters of ‘the Gap’ the mallard ducks have already begun to pair up, however as is common among many duck species, males outnumber females quite considerably. For those that are unsuccessful in winning a mate…

Transition period

As we wave goodbye to summer and the cooler days of autumn draw in, many birds appear to disappear and the skies fall silent. The reason for the sudden absence is that many of our birds are now keeping a low profile, hiding away whilst they go through their annual moult and grow new feathers…

Wildfowl Wednesday

Wednesday 8th April: Isolation Day 17 We are now mid way through our third week of social distancing and fortunately I am still finding ways to keep occupied and stay in touch with nature in between working from home. The government guidance means no more photo trips away from home so I am spending all…

Odd one out?

Whilst most days the avian residents of the harbour are predictable and familiar, just occasionally I can be rewarded with an unusual or completely new sighting of a species you haven’t seen in the area before. Today not a new species, but rather a very recognisable mallard, one of many that have made their home…

World Kindness Day

“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.” ― Mahatma Gandhi As today is World Kindness Day what better way to spend the morning than to spread a little kindness myself by feeding the local bird population. I have a particular affection for the…

Drakes in disguise

Autumn for many birds is the moulting season, and none of the birds here in Aberystwyth go through this process quite as dramatically as the mallard ducks on the Rheidol river. As the warm days of summer fade into memory so too do the bright, vibrant feathers of the drakes as they lose their summer…

Late arrivals

Summer is almost at an end and the breeding season is now over for much of our wildlife. The mallards here in Aberystwyth however appear to be having a late boom, with several new broods including this adorable bunch I encountered a few days ago. After the disappointment of the mute swans’ breeding failure this…

Patience pays off

After weeks of relentless rainfall the sun has finally returned to Aberystwyth, just in time for the beginning of summer! Taking up my usual uncomfortable (and slightly damp) seat on the slipway beside the harbour edge this morning I soaked up some much needed sunshine whilst waiting to see what birdlife might appear. An hour…