Chingford Park has welcomed a new family in 2022. A family of mallard ducklings has hatched, and are providing entertainment for children enjoying their school holidays.
It’s rare for mallards to be hatching at this time of year. Usually ducklings are seen in Spring, with the breeding period between late July and November.
These ducklings are currently only a few days old, but will grow quickly be able to fly within 10 weeks.
“The mallard is a legal gamebird that is hunted during the annual May-June waterfowl season. Fish & Game New Zealand estimate that approximately 500,000 mallards are shot each year” according to NZ Birds Online.
For now, we should all just keep our distance, and enjoy life
