Mallard chicks, still in their natal down, were first seen in mid-May. Since then, the chicks seen have been juveniles, smaller than adults, but long out of their natal down and all looking like the female duck.
It came as a surprise yesterday, over a month and a half after seeing the first ones, to see fresh mallard chicks in their natal down. That strikes me as a rather long period over which hatching has occurred.
These mallard chicks, swimming along a creek this week, have been long out of their natal down.
Last evening, I watched some tiny chicks that looked as if they had just hatched.
I saw some very young ones last week here in my bay, just upstream from you, Alistair.
That’s a lovely closeup of the darlings!