We did the last few miles down to Stourport today, and are staying with my brother and his family. Their back yard has been taken over by a mother mallard, and eight rapidly expanding ducklings. They have a very small ornamental pond but a duck decided to nest there and raise a family. Pretty soon the baby ducks were big enough to start eating the pansies and other ornamental plants, so they decided to start feeding them to protect the landscaping. Now the ducks will come and peer in french windows several times a day hoping to be fed. It usually works.

After gobbling down the duck chow and trampling the water bowl, the family returns to the pond to let off steam.

My brother and his wife have fantasies about the ducks leaving some day, but I think they know a soft option when they see one, and they are there for good. Pretty soon they will be demanding a bigger pond.