Letter: Ducking out of a London winter

From Mr Colin Dunn

Sir: I am a student at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, situated in one corner of the Barbican in London. I am fortunate to have access to a large man-made pond in the Barbican complex, which is home to a lively population of mallard ducks.

Since the beginning of January I have noticed markedly fewer ducks than drakes, to the ratio of three drakes to every duck. I wonder if any readers can tell me if it is a fact of mallard population dynamics that female birds leave the company of the males in the winter.

Yours sincerely,

Colin Dunn

London, SE5