We're fairly sure it's the same male (Arthur) that has been visiting us each year. A little research suggests that mallards mate and stay mated only until the chicks hatch, then Arthur and his pals go off and gang-bang any female in sight. Behaviour here is slightly different from past years, though: most days, they fly in at daybreak, eat, swim, sleep, shit, and don't fly off until dusk. Today, though, they have pushed off in a huff because we'd run out of bird seed. The wren is less demanding, but noisy! It's amazing that such a tiny creature sings so loudly. We've had a few sightings of goldfinches, but on one visit, the presence of the mallards at the base of the bird table seems to have dissuaded them from feeding on the nijer seed we put out at the last sighting thereof. The blackbirds are raising a family, and the juvs are feeding themselves - except when there's a mug of a parent nearby. Apologies for my inveterate anthropomorphism!
Today we have been to our neighbouring semi-homophonous town to visit an exhibition of paintings by the people who use our Thursday venue on Fridays. Some jolly good work in there (we bought two) at very modest prices. You're too late! It closed at 15:30.
Highly frustrating day yesterday at the hobby, but of course I can't say why. Suffice it to say that I shall not be too sad when I reach the mandatory retirement age, unlike many of my co-hobbyists.
We have taken a deep breath and instructed landscapers to deal with our uneven and amateur paving, and to do some of the muscle work on the bed by the new fence. Given this and the work in something akin to progress in Another Place, don't come looking for a sub.
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