Press reader David Smith sent us this photo, taken near his home at Acaster Malbis, near York.
He said: “The nest was in our garden beneath our kitchen window. A regular choice. We have known ducklings to hatch in August. The photo was taken in our pond.”
He added: “The effects of global warming continue to surprise and disrupt. Today, November 12, it was lovely, but at the same time worrying, to welcome a hatch of Mallard ducklings into the world. Confused Mum? Let’s hope they survive the cold.”
Jono Leadley, of the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, confirmed it was unusual to see Mallard ducklings at this time of the year.
He told The Press: “This is likely to be linked to the unusually warm weather we have had this autumn.
“Now that wintry weather has arrived, they may struggle as food becomes harder to find – a problem now facing many of our species, which are having to adapt their range or feeding and breeding patterns to cope with our increasingly changeable weather and climate.”
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