Mallards

 I kept things local today with a walk around Willowbrook, Weldon and Priors Hall the extent of my travels. Weatherwise it was a dull and grey affair with not too much in the way of birds to brighten things up.

Mallard 'lek'

My first stop was at the A43 pond in Weldon where the usual collection of ducks were present. A good number of Mallards were gathered and I spent some time watching their antics. The drakes were in display mode and the whole thing had the air of some kind of aquatic lek about it. Males would mingle and begin by tipping their heads back slightly while on occasion one would rise out of the water and tower over its rivals. At least twice I saw several which almost seemed to curtsey with their heads tipped forwards and their tails lifted while showing the purple speculums to good effect. As the males  displayed a few non-plussed looking females swam around watching the spectacle, I'm not sure if any pairs formed today though. It's not often that I find Mallards interesting but I certainly enjoyed watching them today.

Fallow Deer

Having moved on to Willowbrook I stopped to look at a herd of Fallow Deer but there were not many birds about, a flock of about a hundred or so Lapwings being the best. Nearby at Priors Hall neither north nor south gullets produced much and it was a pair of Ravens near the steelworks that were probably the highlights.

Red Kite