Enemy camps

I'm not sure if I mentioned it, but the "them and us" separation already noticeable when we were covered in snow has got worse the last couple of weeks or so.  No, I'm not even going to try and fence off an area for Captain and his two girls, had enough trouble with that last year, but I do have to keep a watchful eye on those two marauding black drakes Tuts and Jay-Z, Candi didn't look too good yesterday:

It really is beyond me why the 3 drakes from the two top huts, who have 13 ducks "at their disposal", should  go racing hell-bent to get hold of Candida or Anke at the bottom hut, and as Anke still manages to slip through the netting somehow it is Candi who cops it all the time.  I must say I've been pleased recently because I've seen Captain fiercely chasing back all those who come near HIS pond, there are no more all-day gatherings at the largest pond, the two top groups make use of the frog pond and the little one instead, and they explore the bit of garden near the road to such an extent that I had to stop them from crossing the road the other day - that hasn't happened since the Welsh girls were here!

The 13 ducks from the two top huts seem perfectly alright, lay eggs like there's no tomorrow, and only bumble-foot Mocca yells when one of the boys tries to get hold of her.  Here are 7 or 8 of them having a siesta yesterday while the boys are otherwise occupied:

You can probably see that the daffodils and narcissi in the background of this photo are only in bud yet, but on Tuesday afternoon I managed to pick some from around the garden which opened up overnight for the bunches on Wednesday's Luncheon Club:

Anke still manages to escape, she's found somewhere she can get through into the field - she seems to have finished 'working' the big puddle in the ditch behind the pond which was covered in green algae before she got into it:

 
Yesterday I shouted for her to get back after I saw her in the field, and she ran all along the newly-put-up fencing - she's just behind the board blocking a hole where I set the yellow arrow - with Captain at the right of the photo waiting for her to come around the corner.  She didn't go back into the ditch, just ran further along the fence until she got to the vegetable patch and then ploughed into the water.