A mallard has chosen a very warm place in our garden to lay her eggs and we're worried about overheating.

This is where well meaning folk like yourself are stuck between the devil and deep blue sea. Sadly you can't do anything, it is illegal to disturb nests, and while I feel for you not only for the welfare of the mallard family, but also the herbs as well, that really is it.

For your information, click Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 to read the act.

Mike,
That's the conclusion we came to. We absolutely wouldn't try and move the nest however when she's wandered off to feed I have watered the herbs away from her nest to at least keep some cover and we've erected a kind of weird lean-to high above her to keep off the worst of the midday sun. So far so good, dad duck is still around and they have a fly around in the early evenings once it's cooled down a bit. We also have guinea fowl who seem to have taken her under their wing and have a good alarm system in place.

We're hoping for the best but are under no illusions about our impact.

Anna