Big Pond belongs to me!

Wandered down to BPC1 this afternoon. I had planned not to return to work until the swans returned in the Spring but the reality of everyday life intervened. Colleague and friend S wandered out too as she didn't believe me that the swans had gone (she has been away for a week). We arrived at the Big Pond and guess who was back - well not the swans - but the little duck with swan identity issues. S had thought about adopting him when he was younger (and still might) and has named him Piccolino. He was the smallest of the duckling brood and his parents and siblings have flown. Saying that he has always been happiest with the swans. He is much smaller than the other ducks and nobody expected him to survive this long. The security guys used to feed him at the weekends to boost his calories. He is a tough little duck and was very funny to watch when he was outwitting the teenage swans.
Well he is back and appears to have claimed the pond. Two gulls were swooping in to get bread and he charged in and saw them off with lots of tail feather wagging. Impressive. I hope Mr and Mrs Swan return soon as he is attached to Mrs Swan - and the teenage swans seemed to tolerate him. At the moment he has 5 coots to keep him company.
The other moment that happened was that when we walked along to the pond we saw a women polishing the brass plate on one of the benches and then sit and feed the little duck Piccolino. She then headed over to where we were standing and told us that the bench was put in place in memory of her husband who had died in 2011. She had been to a funeral and decided to come and sit by the pond and have some quiet time remembering. Her husband used to enjoy taking his grandchildren to the pond and playing football with them on the grass and feeding the ducks and swans. In front of the bench happens to be the favourite place over the summer for the swans to sit and preen and have a quick sleep in the sun. It was also S and my favourite place to sit in the warmer weather and watch the cygnets and their parents. So lovely to get the story behind the brass plate.

Not the sharpest blip but I don't care - I like it.