I have been obsessively watching the mallards over the past week, she is one of 3 female Mallards:
1st https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🦆" title="Duck" aria-label="Emoji: Duck"> Male partner is of standard plumage.
2nd https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🦆" title="Duck" aria-label="Emoji: Duck"> Male partner has a pale buff chest.
3rd https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🦆" title="Duck" aria-label="Emoji: Duck"> (https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🤞" title="Crossed fingers" aria-label="Emoji: Crossed fingers">) is in a ménage à trois with a male Mallard and a male Mandarin Duck! https://twitter.com/vagabondbaker/status/1247087805324460033">https://twitter.com/vagabondb...

Could it be 3rd https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🦆" title="Duck" aria-label="Emoji: Duck">? Mandarin Ducks have an extra chromosome so hybrid ducklings are not going to happen but she probably mated with the male Mallard as he was feistier https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🙏" title="Folded hands" aria-label="Emoji: Folded hands">https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🐣" title="Hatching chick" aria-label="Emoji: Hatching chick">https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🐤" title="Baby chick" aria-label="Emoji: Baby chick">

The egg! She& #39;s left the nest to feed, she tried to cover the egg up but unsuccessfully https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="😅" title="Smiling face with open mouth and cold sweat" aria-label="Emoji: Smiling face with open mouth and cold sweat">. It& #39;s very exposed.

Still waiting for egg number 2! Egg number one is still there, untouched, and not predated, since she left it yesterday morning. https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🦆" title="Duck" aria-label="Emoji: Duck">https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🥚" title="Egg" aria-label="Emoji: Egg">

Breaking News! Mrs Mallard is back! 2nd egg is happening; she timed it perfectly for my morning coffee https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="☕" title="Hot beverage" aria-label="Emoji: Hot beverage"> https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🥰" title="Smiling face with 3 hearts" aria-label="Emoji: Smiling face with 3 hearts">https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🦆" title="Duck" aria-label="Emoji: Duck">https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🥚" title="Egg" aria-label="Emoji: Egg">

Its not female #3! The Mandarin Ducks wooing Mrs Mallard #3 swam by. So that means these eggs will be fertilised: we& #39;re going to have https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🐤" title="Baby chick" aria-label="Emoji: Baby chick">https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🐤" title="Baby chick" aria-label="Emoji: Baby chick">https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🐤" title="Baby chick" aria-label="Emoji: Baby chick">https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🐤" title="Baby chick" aria-label="Emoji: Baby chick">https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🐤" title="Baby chick" aria-label="Emoji: Baby chick">https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🐤" title="Baby chick" aria-label="Emoji: Baby chick">https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🐤" title="Baby chick" aria-label="Emoji: Baby chick">https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🐤" title="Baby chick" aria-label="Emoji: Baby chick">https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🐤" title="Baby chick" aria-label="Emoji: Baby chick">https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🐤" title="Baby chick" aria-label="Emoji: Baby chick">https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🐤" title="Baby chick" aria-label="Emoji: Baby chick">https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🐤" title="Baby chick" aria-label="Emoji: Baby chick">

She& #39;s covered the eggs up much better today, its looks like a little herby salad! https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🌱" title="Seedling" aria-label="Emoji: Seedling">. And as you can see at the end of this video, it& #39;s female number 1, with the standard plumage male https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="😍" title="Smiling face with heart-shaped eyes" aria-label="Emoji: Smiling face with heart-shaped eyes">https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🦆" title="Duck" aria-label="Emoji: Duck">https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🥚" title="Egg" aria-label="Emoji: Egg">https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🥚" title="Egg" aria-label="Emoji: Egg">

Herby egg salad! https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🥚" title="Egg" aria-label="Emoji: Egg">https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🥚" title="Egg" aria-label="Emoji: Egg">

Day 4; egg 3 (I think) https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🥚" title="Egg" aria-label="Emoji: Egg">https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🥚" title="Egg" aria-label="Emoji: Egg">https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🥚" title="Egg" aria-label="Emoji: Egg">. Mrs Mallard has done lots of excavating this morning, I think she has found the constriction of the wall, she& #39;s got to fit 12 eggs in there somehow! Look at that leg!

I think that& #39;s the new egg. Lots of loose soil and gravel in there today. https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🥚" title="Egg" aria-label="Emoji: Egg">https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🦆" title="Duck" aria-label="Emoji: Duck">https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="❤️" title="Red heart" aria-label="Emoji: Red heart">

Day 5. I came back from my walk and Mrs https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🦆" title="Duck" aria-label="Emoji: Duck"> was on the nest, Mr https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🦆" title="Duck" aria-label="Emoji: Duck"> right next to her. I popped upstairs to wash my https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="👙" title="Bikini" aria-label="Emoji: Bikini"> and heard a kerfuffle. Mr https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🦆" title="Duck" aria-label="Emoji: Duck"> was chasing another Mr https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🦆" title="Duck" aria-label="Emoji: Duck"> off, Mrs https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🦆" title="Duck" aria-label="Emoji: Duck"> had fled. Mr https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🦆" title="Duck" aria-label="Emoji: Duck"> checked the eggs, he& #39;s a good dad! https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="❤️" title="Red heart" aria-label="Emoji: Red heart">

She& #39;s back! Maybe she hadn& #39;t laid yet? Spot the cute little Cole Tit https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="😍" title="Smiling face with heart-shaped eyes" aria-label="Emoji: Smiling face with heart-shaped eyes">.
#lockdownbirding