Will You Be Mine?!

In all his finery he was making a real show for his lovely lady ;-) I do hope he got his way! She was so drab in comparison but nevertheless so beautiful in her grey and white spots and stripes. They sat together in perfect harmony, tails parallel.
I was abandoned by my companions in my effort to get gradually closer without frightening them into the water! I found the contour of his head so unusual, being so flat on top and at the sides, so different to any other birds I have seen. The range of colours was incredible too, it's so long since I've seen one, I'd forgotten how stunning they are, I don't think of them as a bird to look out for in Britain :-/ they are called Mandarin ducks from what I remember.