Mallard Mania

If we wind up having a hot summer, and hosepipe bans and the whole shebang gets brought in, there's just one thing that needs be done to alleviate the problem. Get me to go out and do some work in the garden. Nothing is more guaranteed to bring the rain out.

After a week of rain, but a lovely morning during which we headed to the farmers market, I thought I might finally be able to get the raised beds finished. A trip to B&Q to get some extra bits and bobs and all was well until *boom* the heavens opened again. And ten minutes after I'd packed everything away and soggily made my way back into the house? It's stopped...

Will pop ou tbriefly to clean out the chicken house, but I think that's all my outdoors for the day - loads to do inside.

Before starting again on the raised beds we went for the usual wander down to the Figgate, and for once I concentrated a little more on the mallards, which I usually ignore because they're so common, but that's daft because the colour, not only of the heads, but also the blue flashes on the wings, is fantastic, and they're gloriously comical.

The Goldeneye we saw might have been blipped if it had come further towards us, but I liked the air brake shot (just before he indulged in a bit of water skiing...

I also had another attempt at capturing the curls on the males.

Right, I'm off to see if I can make it rain again...