Mallard drake

The last early morning drive to Huntingdon for ten days - thank goodness!! Alex has successfully completed his first half-term and now has a break, although actually I think much of the time will be spent doing the fieldwork for his investigative project before the cold weather really sets in. I think I'm more glad of the break than him!

Having said that it was pretty chilly this morning, and I put off taking the dogs for a walk until lunchtime. By then the sun had warmed things up nicely, and I was amazed to see plenty of common darters again, including a mating pair who were laying eggs on the grass next to the river. The first time I saw this happen I thought they'd made a mistake, but apparently they often lay eggs in grass that will be flooded later in the winter or in the spring, when the eggs to hatch out.

The sunlight was quite dazzling and actually made photography fairly tricky, but when it was filtered through the willows it made the most wonderful patterns on the shaded pools. I came across a small group of mallards dabbling amongst the duckweed, and couldn't resist this wonderful drake, now in his fully restored breeding plumage. He's probably best viewed large.

And ducks are soothy things
And lovely on the lake
When that the sunlight draws
Thereon their pictures dim
In colours cool.
And when beneath the pool
They dabble, and when they swim
And make their rippling rings,
0 ducks are beautiful things!

Excerpt from poem by Frank W. Harvey