May 20 - Day 58 - A duck out of water - taking a quack at it

I had to stop a bit too abruptly this morning in order to take the picture but I have got a side mirror (one of the best bits of kit I’ve bought - apart from the heated socks of course!) and there was nothing behind me.

The distinctive and colourful mandarin duck is often literally a duck out of water as it frequently perches and nests in trees. It is understood to have been introduced from the Far East in the 1700s but it was in the 1930s that it is likely to have escaped or been released from captivity.

I’ve included a picture I took with the female in as well below as it seems unfair that they are often described as ‘dull in comparison’. Who are we to say that mottled feathers, stripes and small flashes of colour aren’t just as good features. I’m certainly going to point out that grey heads (particularly after lockdown) can be just as distinctive and beautiful as brightly coloured ones! Given the female manages to choose a cavity in a tree trunk to lay her eggs and once the ducklings have jumped to the ground after hatching, she gathers them and leads them straight to water - there is much for us to learn about the value or understanding of ‘dull’ or ‘difference’. After all - waddle we be without it?