MAY 3: We have a mallard duck nest! Three eggs spotted in a protected corner of the backyard. Mom was rustling in the bush for quite a while the other morning as Dad stood guard, but we didn’t expect a nest because the neighborhood wetland is three blocks away.

Update: I was afraid to check all day because I didn’t want to spook her, but we’ve seen rustling this evening. If we see her leave we’ll do an egg recount, because nine is the average.

MAY 5: Mom and Dad duck are sleeping at the road end of our driveway, so we slipped into the backyard to check the nest. There are 11 eggs now. They take 28 days to hatch and of course we hope to spot when they make their march to the nearby pond.