Garden visitors!

Thursday
The last week or so, we have been receiving regular visits from Mr and Mrs Mallard, at least a couple of times a day - usually once sometime during the morning, and then again in the evening. They usually waddle in, and make their way to the bird feeders, and help the squirrels in their clean up duty underneath the hanging feeders. Then they usually settle down in the grass for a good half hour or more, before waddling back to the hedge to our neighbours garden. Occasionally we see them crossing the road to our neighbours across the road! Fortunately it’s a cul de sac, so it’s quiet. They occasionally visited last year, but not as regularly as presently. While I was taking these shots, Roger was using the electric hedge trimmer, and they were totally unperturbed, and another day he was cutting the grass, and they would just gently waddle out of the way, but still stayed in the garden! I know we tend to take mallards for granted, since they are so common and widespread, but when you see them up close which I was able to do today, and in a good light, their plumage is quite wonderful, especially the male of course!
Today we went swimming for our exercise - still indoors, the outdoor pools won’t open till Memorial Day weekend, the last weekend of the month, although it’s certainly been hot enough the last week or so. I couldn’t manage my usual 50 lengths today, but I did manage 44, so not too bad. In the evening it was choir, just a few more weeks now until we break for the summer.