Welcome Back The Mandarin Ducks

So happy to see a group of this little mandarin ducks still active at the river Po, was a bit worry not seeing them around last year. Being the more beautiful and smaller ducks, they are often being bully by the bigger birds such as the gullls. Once I saw a gull was chasing after one of this beautiful creature, almost made me wanted to throw a stone to send the gull away.

Hope these mandarin ducks would stay well and reproduce more on this side of river Po, they bring such joy to the view of the river.

Flying Ducks

Early Spring, the ducks seem more knee to fly....

A walk by the river, was surprised to see the ducks usually just sit around the river bank or floating on the river, were actually flying.

Was quite difficult to capture photo of them flying without the proper gears, but still couldn't resist to snap a shot or two.

Mamma Duck And Her ducklings

A mother duck was looking down at her ducklings swimming hopelessly in river Po, not sure why she had decided to land herself there and left the ducklings wondering where is mamma. Anyway, later she decided to fly back down to join them, happy ending.

Lone Goose And The Ducks

The same old lone goose by the river Po, near to the Regina Margherita bridge standing by the side of the river, still wondering why he is so much bigger than the others......

Wild Ducks Couple

The Mallard  or Wild Duck is a dabbling duck which breeds throughout the temperate and subtropical Americas, Europe, Asia, and North Africa, and has been introduced to New Zealand and Australia. This duck belongs to the subfamily Anatinae of the waterfowl family Anatidae.
Mallards usually form pairs (in October and November) only until the female lays eggs at the start of nesting season which is around the beginning of spring, at which time she is left by the male who joins up with other males to await the moulting period which begins in June.  
(Text from :http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mallard )

Have been seeing this couple for a few weeks in the same spot, doesn't seem like they have built their nest there, as it is not really a suitable spot for nesting, the place is too open.....