 The ducks are remembered by many other birds in the area, who turn up as soon as the ducks appear, knowing that plenty of food will be available. On 23rd March Fred counted about 100 starlings in the garden. We often have a long line of starlings, jackdaws and rooks sitting along the top of the fence, waiting for us to come out and feed the ducks, while gulls circle overhead. Fortunately the ducks are braver than the others. I watched a rook, almost as large as a duck, trying to get a piece of bread but being driven off by the drake every time. In the end the rook got the bread, but only because the drake decided it was time to move anyway. Fortunately the ducks haven't discovered our small pond, and seem quite content with their tray of water to sit in. The nearest large area of water is a pond about half a mile away. Sometimes, if we don't come soon enough to feed them the drake bangs on our front door with his beak. One evening I looked out of the window to see if I could see the ducks and, as I couldn't see them, I opened the front door. The drake was standing on the top step and got such a surprise that he fell off the step backwards, while I managed to scratch my thumb with the fingernail of the other thumb as I was going to get their food. I sat on the step feeding the duck by hand with blood pouring from my thumb. Anyone passing might have thought that she had given me a good peck! This year we have had yet another new development - the arrival of Bent Tail.
Bent Tail started coming along with other drakes early in April, and was easy to recognise by his bent tail, though he soon lost the few remaining feathers so Fred always calls him Notail. He became a regular visitor, often bring other drakes with him whom we also got to know - a tiny drake called Little Curl, the very nervous Big Curl, and the dreaded Palechest who terrorises all the females. Later Bent Tail started bringing along his own mate, and more recently he has been bringing all his friends and relations for breakfast, both drakes and ducks, often as early as 5:30 am! One morning Fred counted 7 drakes outside, and thought he saw an 8th nearby. Some of the drakes are now almost completely in their eclipse plumage so their visits cannot continue for much longer. When they are in eclipse their plumage is similar to a female's.
They then moult their wing feathers and cannot fly until they have grown new ones. After this they moult again back into their breeding plumage. On 12th July I saw Mrs Duck for what was almost certainly the last time this year. I hadn't seen her for 3 days. I think her eggs must be about to hatch. Then she will stay with her chicks, and after that she will go away for the winter. She came hopping up the steps and ate corn from my hand on the top step She was pecking my fingers if there wasn't bread or corn in my hand, because she was so hungry. I could feel the underside of her beak and the feathers of her neck. I went out to put corn in the dish as she prefers it in water. She hopped down after me, but was nervous about getting too close & tried to jump straight down the side until I made room for her. She dropped 4 feathers, and I felt they were a leaving present. I put bread & corn in the big dish for her and she fed well. She was about to fly, so I threw another bit of bread. She looked at it as if she would eat it but then decided she hadn't time, then flew off down the road as if there wasn't a moment to spare. We continued to see other ducks in diminishing numbers until 15th July. Mr and Mrs Bent Tail 
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