A mallard with two very small ducklings, perhaps a couple of days old, was on Drayton Lagoon yesterday (Saturday), and a tufted duck had a couple of slightly older ducklings with her on Ferry Lagoon. A mallard was seen with five small ducklings on Elney Lake this morning.
The common tern chicks are growing well, and providing some fascinating moments. For example, we have a pair of rafts near the Ferry Lagoon viewpoint, close to our car park, and a pair of terns nested on each raft. The chicks from one raft spend most of their time on the raft they weren't born on, but when their parents bring fish for them to eat, they have to jump off and swim to the raft they were born on. They only get fed once they are close to "home", while still on the water, then they swim back to the second raft and climb out and join the chicks of the second family.