We were all a little wary when a female mallard chose to make her nest in the planter on the playground. With lots of wildlife nearby, we were not sure that she and her eggs would survive. However, nature knows what it is doing, and this morning we arrived in school to the sound of tiny cheeps! All of the eggs have hatched and there were 11 fluffy chicks. What a clever mother duck she is!

We gather from the RSPB website that the new family are unlikely to stay with us for long, and may be gone by tomorrow in search of water (we suspect down to the brook). We have been honoured to host the mother duck as she sat on her eggs, and a huge congratulations to the children for staying away and leaving her in peace - we know it has not been easy! Below are a few pictures captured this morning.