Here at Lowes, we try to love all our feathered and furred critters, regardless of looks, habits etc. Try as we might we can’t seem to keep one of our more common species away for long, despite erecting fences, shouting out of windows and waving sticks etc.

I have long since given up berating the poor creatures and chasing them away from the feeders. It’s been too cold to deny them seed and peanuts of late. Over the season we have had many amused visitors sitting down to watch their silly, bumbling antics for hours on end.

So in celebration of Lowes’ Mallards, here are ten useless facts about them:

1. The Mallard is the ancestor of all domestic duck breeds
2. A group of Mallards has many collective nouns including a ‘battling’, ‘lute’,  ‘sord’, ‘doppling’ and ‘daggle’.
3. Mallards have been known to interbreed with Pintails and Wild Black Ducks.
4. Most Mallards only live to 1-2 years although they have been known to live as old as 16
5. One of our Mallards reputedly ate a Siskin last year.
6. In 1437 there was an organised Mallard hunt at All Souls College, Oxford . The event is repeated every 100 years to commemorate a duck that was found hiding inside the college as it was being built
7. Mallard is considered by some a tasty dish, particularly during the Medieval era when it was often served up at banquets. On festive occasions however, Mallards would often be ‘redressed’ in their plumage after being cooked.
8. The word Mallard originates from the 14^th century words Mallardus and Masculus, which roughly translates to mean ‘male of the wild duck’.
9. There is evidence to suggest that ancient Eygptians used Mallards in religious sacrifice.
10. Miss Mallard the famous ductective is the heroine of a much loved animated children’s mystery series.

There we are, completely useless!