I was looking through one of my jumble sale book purchases, "Birds Shown to the Children", by MKC Scott, from the 1920s. It contained the following passage about the mallard.
This is great contrast to the modern mallard who, even away from the municipal park, will come within feet of you. Yes there was much more wildfowling back then but the mallard is also thought of as the duck of the farmers duck pond. When did this change of mallard behaviour occur.
Also rather poignantly the book also describes the corn crake as "a very common bird" and "one of the most familiar sounds we hear in the summer".
THE Mallard is a very shy bird, and you cannot easily get near enough to him to see his plumage of beautiful colours. As he flies at a distance, you may see the white ring round his neck, and the white and black on the wings, but you will not see the shining green of the head, nor the bar on the wings, nor the chestnut red of breast and neck.
Mallards are very common and live always near water, about lakes and marshy places, or by rivers; but they must be quiet, lonesome places, for it is only when driven by cold and hunger that Mallards will come near the dwellings of men.
Mallards are very common and live always near water, about lakes and marshy places, or by rivers; but they must be quiet, lonesome places, for it is only when driven by cold and hunger that Mallards will come near the dwellings of men.
This is great contrast to the modern mallard who, even away from the municipal park, will come within feet of you. Yes there was much more wildfowling back then but the mallard is also thought of as the duck of the farmers duck pond. When did this change of mallard behaviour occur.
Also rather poignantly the book also describes the corn crake as "a very common bird" and "one of the most familiar sounds we hear in the summer".
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