[AndyJWest]

Ducks, or at least Mallards, are horrible creatures - the drakes are anyway. I once spotted four or five of them circling what I at first thought was a football floating in the river. Looking closer, I realised it had webbed feet sticking up - it was a female, upside down, drowned no doubt by the enthusiastic gang rape of the drakes. I've had to help rescue other ducks in the same situation. I much prefer the Grebes. Apart from the mating display, which is truly spectacular, they also have an interesting tactic for dealing with other water birds that get too close to their young - a high speed torpedo-run, just below the surface. Very effective.