In love...

Last night, as we do most Friday nights, Scott and I stopped at our village pub after work for a pint and a bite to eat. As we pulled the car up (parking half the car up on the sidewalk to allow traffic to pass on the narrow 2 way lane), I saw an odd glint in the pond across the road. I moved closer to see what it was. A bright yellow duckling!! It was paddling alongside a female mallard and a peeping mallard duckling.

The adult seemed equally protective of both ducklings, though clearly the yellow one wasn't hers. (I later learned the yellow one is a Pekin duckling). I haven't seen any adult Pekin ducks (the classic white farm yard duck) in the pond, and the yellow guy is the only Pekin duckling there. Was he abandoned, or orphaned? Could the mallard have adopted him??

He is heart-stoppingly cute. We decided to return this morning to photograph him. I was initially concerned we wouldn't be able to find him again, but I needn't have worried. Highly reflective of what little sun reaches this part of the world, he's like a little sun beam motoring around the pond:

Here are some close-ups: