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Oh this is quite interesting Richie because we are going through the same thing! We've had mallards here on the pond nearly every day for the last 2 months and I'm hoping for ducklings!

We too normally have mr and mrs, or sometimes mr and 2 mrs's (how do you write that? ). Sometimes there's another mr and I've seen mr and mrs chase this one off. Yet yesterday there were 2 misters swimming around happily together!!!

So I'm as as you on that one but I'm just happy to see them and they get on fine with my domestic ducks.

As to the different colours - in some of my bird books they do show all sorts of variations of some of the more common breeds of ducks so it could be a hybrid. I can't think of another species with the same colour head as a male mallard. Unless it was a youngster who hadn't got all his adult colourings yet?

This thread might help - talking about hybrids and domestic mallards and the diff colourings are quite common.

http://www.wildaboutbritain.co.uk/forum ... ybrid.html

I've been there, can't remember if that's the one in the centre of town or the one near the beach with the road in between? I didn't know you were near Weymouth.

Oooooh next time I'm at my mum's and fancy going off birdwatching at Weymouth I'll have to come and see you!

I know Weymouth well having lived in various parts of the town for many years and we're hoping to retire back there, a really lovely part of the world.

You are lucky. I love it around there but the bit I know better is the coastal road from Bridport to Abbotsbury. My mum is on the Devon/Somerset/Dorset borders and it's all gorgeous around there. Have done the drive from Poole (when arriving by ferry) to my mum's via Dorchester several times and it's just so scenic.