A pair of mallard
" data-image-title="The Priory Beast" data-orig-file="https://theanxiousgardener.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/dsc_01421.jpg" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":""}" data-medium-file="https://theanxiousgardener.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/dsc_01421.jpg?w=300" data-permalink="https://theanxiousgardener.com/2011/07/16/the-priory-beast/the-priory-beast-6/" title="The Priory Beast" alt="" srcset="https://theanxiousgardener.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/dsc_01421.jpg?w=604&h;=405 604w, https://theanxiousgardener.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/dsc_01421.jpg?w=150&h;=101 150w, https://theanxiousgardener.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/dsc_01421.jpg?w=300&h;=201 300w, https://theanxiousgardener.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/dsc_01421.jpg?w=768&h;=515 768w, https://theanxiousgardener.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/dsc_01421.jpg 800w" class="size-full wp-image-802" data-large-file="https://theanxiousgardener.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/dsc_01421.jpg?w=676" />A pair of mallard
She managed to raise about eight of the ducklings to adulthood, and I remember how my walk about the gardens would, on occasion, cause an explosion of mallards to shoot up off the water. I was really pleased and looked forward to an annual duckling-fest. But it was not to be.
Mallard on the West Pond – 2011
I was puzzled and disappointed that the following Spring a small family of half a dozen ducklings disappeared without a trace. And then this year, despite seeing some adult mallards, there were no ducklings at all. I had heard that moorhens (which do nest very successfully at the Priory) can and will kill ducklings but I also wondered whether it might be rats or a fox that was feasting on baby duck.
Pair of Mandarin ducks – 2011
Back in April I wrote of how a pair of mandarin ducks had moved into my tawny owl nest box (see ‘New Residents at the Priory’).
Eyeing me suspiciously
I was excited and looked forward to seeing some mandarin ducklings about the place. (Especially given the dearth of mallard ducklings). But again, there was a marked absence of baby mandarins; the whole family disappeared. What had happened to them?
A couple of weeks ago Ben, a friend of mine from the village, was walking down the public footpath that borders the eastern edge of the Priory estate. At the end of the footpath is an old tumble-down brick bridge over the river. Ben had stopped to admire my leaf mold (who wouldn’t?) in the compost bins when he saw a glimpse of a swift moving animal over by the river. He rushed to the bridge and managed to take a quick photo with his phone of the swimming creature.
The Priory Beast
He texted me to say he thought he’d seen an otter at the Priory and emailed me the photo. I would be over the moon to have otter on the estate but sadly the photo is of something quite different. I think it is a mink. Bah. A North American native, mink have escaped from fur farms and are now well established in the UK. They are a voracious predator that feed on fish, birds and small mammals. Is it mink that devours mallard ducklings? And mandarin ducklings? To be honest there could be any one of half a dozen reasons as to why there are no ducklings at the Priory including gray squirrels and magpies eating the eggs, stoats or weasels eating the young and even disease. But mink have got to be a prime suspect.Sigh. I would rather have an otter.