The mallard ducks have all paired off …

… and are busily eating as much as they can in preparation for the spring arrival of their hatchlings.

The male mallards help with the nesting but once the young ones arrive, they go off by themselves to suffer through their moulting period. The moulting makes them feel terrible (and look rather terrible, too); I have seen lots of male mallards looking very listless and ill.

Did you know that mallards are the progenitors of nearly all domesticated duck species except the Muscovy ducks? And did you also know that despite the name, Muscovy ducks are native to the Americas and not at all to Russia?

Happy Wednesday.

I enjoyed immensely these blue skies; such a lovely sight after weeks of winter grey.

These photos are completely unedited; that way you can really see how pretty these clear skies were.

Happy Tuesday; I hope you have a blue sky day.