Ducks in the Rain

This evening, I went for a walk around Brynmill Park, Swansea, in the rain. The first thing I saw, as I arrived, was a brood of young Mallards on the lake. A single Lesser Black-backed Gull was dive-bombing them, trying to grab a youngster for his supper. He failed, the chicks managing to escape the marauding gull by diving into cover, and even by plunging underwater. The gull eventually gave up, and went and waited at the other end of the small lake:

Two broods of young Mallards continued to feed out in the open at the other end of the pond, perhaps too young to realise the potential danger:

The numerous apparantly-non-breeding birds spent their time upending:

and just loafing in the rain:

Besides the scruffy-looking Mallards, there were three or four Tufted Ducks floating around towards the middle of the pond. Much more usual to see them here in the Winter. Here's one of the males:

This flower was part of a large display of this species (whatever it is):

Park authorities seem a lot more aware of environmental issues these days, and there has been quite a lot of planting of native flora in and around the water, including this Purple Loosestrife:

Finally, a picture of a rather wet-looking Feral Pigeon:

Personally, after all the hot, dry, weather we've had, I was glad of the rain.