Pair

On a day when armed police were patrolling this provincial city as I walked into work, it's important to be reminded of the beauty in the world.

A week ago I spied a female Mandarin in a tree next to the canal, so this morning as I took the same route I was looking out to see if she was still around. As I approached the spot, two ducks flew out of the tree above my head and settled further up the canal, a pair of Mandarins, at least double the excitement.

This week I'll let the male take pride of place, but I've put an image of the two together in extras.

Paired, on territory...we can but hope for what happens next.