Juvenile Mallard Drake

This young male Mallard is just starting to show his bright blue feathers in his crown.It dose't seem that long ago that he was a little ball of fluff!
    This year we have had a good season for the Ducks and Moorhens to breed.We always lose some through predation? But that is natures way!
  If we have a hard Winter we will lose some more again?
May be that's why we have had a good year eh?