Duckling watch for Goodgymers - a quacking good mission. Goodgymers swapped their running shoes to ducking views. Duck, duck and done.

Paul watched two broods - one an experienced mother who was surrogate to a dozen mallard ducklings. She really struggled and lost all but three, but was brilliant with those three, perhaps slightly over protective. They are all now grown up and part of a bigger group of adolescent mallards.

The other group was a shambles. There were seven ducklings. The male disappeared in week two and for several weeks, I saw no more than one or two at a time and never with the mother. I assumed the worst. But last week I saw the mother with five of them and yesterday with seven! She’s grown into the role!

Jacqui struggled to find any mallard ducklings but persevered and eventually, after numerous visits to lakes, ponds and rivers, found a family.

Sally watched 3 ducklings who were abandoned at around 2-3 weeks old and despite the odds being stacked against them with predators incl american mink, foxes and herons in the area, they are still going strong 9 weeks later and now feel like part of the family. Another group didnt fare so well and all 4 ducklings disappeared over a few days.