Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)

Status at Longham Lakes

Common resident, with small numbers breeding.

Breeding:
2005: Adults with 2 broods of 4 chicks, 27 May 2005.
2008: 1 female raised a brood of 7 chicks to independence on the Quarry (Steve Morrison). Also 1 other female with 2 small young (didn’t survive).
2009: 30th June, broods of 7, 8, 3 and 1 chicks seen (Trevor Thorpe). Adult with 8 ducklings, 7th April 2007, then 6 on 24th April. 3 broods of chicks seen in that month. Broods of 4 and 2 chicks, 16th April.
2010: Broods on 12 and 9 chicks, 25th April.
2011: 10 young seen in one brood on 10th April. Four broods of chicks seen on 19th April (Trevor Thorpe). Three broods of 4-5 well grown chicks, 17th June.
2012: 3 broods, adults with 2, 3 and 12 ducklings respectively, 3rd May. 1 with 8 newly hatched ducklings, 24th May. Females with broods of 5 and 6 chicks, and a group of 7 unaccompanied juveniles, 29th Jun.
2013: Female with 9 young on 23rd March (CP). Young seen on 26th April (LB).
2014: 15th April: 2 females with <1 week old young, 6 each. (DC). There was one female with 4 ducklings on 20th June (Trevor Wilkinson).
2015: A female with 5 young on 11th April; 2 broods on 14th May, 1 with 4 young; 1 female with a single duckling, 14th July.
2016: Broods of 5 and 8 on 5th April; 3, 6 and 6 on 20th April; broods of 11, 6, 5 and 4 on 23rd April (Trevor Wilkinson); broods of 6 and 2 on 11th May; broods of 8 (North Lake), 6, 5, 2 and 1 (South Lake) on 19th May (Steve Morrison).