Dabbling with pretty ducks

Ornamental waterfowl are an endlessly cheering and fascinating addition to any stretch of water, but they can make a mess. Vicky Liddell asks experienced keepers for their advice

- Vicky Liddell

All along the backwater, Through the rushes tall, Ducks are a-dabbling Up tails all. ‘Duck’s Ditty’ by Kenneth Grahame

ANYONE fortunate enough to own a large pond or lake will have considered acquiring some web-footed residents. They fondly imagine the gentle call of female birds, the iridescent sheen of the drakes in winter and the enchanting bustling and waggling as the birds go about their daily business. What they rarely foresee is the time they will spend staring out of the window at the comical love lives of their birds—or how the garden will never be quite the same again.

Ornamental waterfowl can be divided into four groups: the surface feeders or ‘dabbling’ ducks, which feed on or near the surface; ‘diving’ ducks, which obtain most of their food by diving; sea ducks, which include the eider, the UK’s heaviest duck; and sawbills, a group distinguished by the structure of their bills. Of these, surface feeders are generally considered the best for novices to keep; they include the gadwall, pintail, teal, shoveler, wigeon and the exotic mandarin. Diving ducks, such as the scaup, pochard and tufted duck, need more specialised care and a water depth of at least 2ft. Geese and swans may be considered for a larger stretch of water and, of course, in some places they will congregate naturally.