Mallard Ducks – riverbank Tean Hall Mills (‘Birdcage’)

Listen to the poem here recited by pupils of Great Wood School, Tean

So many people! So much food!

These supposed ‘quiet days’ have meant

Good company and new faces,

Lifting everyone’s mood.

Not so much a mean Winter

As people trod this well-walked path.

But handfuls of seed, conversation

And the occasional socially-distanced laugh.

by E. D. Varughese

Read more about ducks in lockdown here:

Lockdown good for Ducks, says MSPCA – 3FM Isle of Man (three.fm)

And a beautiful, video animation for children (and us all!) called ‘Lockdown duck ducks’ by Leon Nikoo Lockdown duck ducks on Vimeo

And a children’s story called ‘The Lockdown Ducks’ by Dario Knight and illustration by John and Angela North Lockdown Stories: “The Lockdown Ducks” by Dario Knight – Buckingham News

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Conversation point: Have a look through Countryfile Magazine’s A-Z of Mindfulness in nature – Countryfile.com Which three letters might you pick? Are there any of these letters that you already engage with? Recommend or share a few with a friend.