Female mallard duck with 14 newly hatched ducklings, Anas platyrhynchos, on a stream in springtime at Swinbrook, the Cotswolds, UK

anas platyrhynchos animal families baby animals being different birth breeding british closeness copying cotswold scene custody ducklings england english countryside following going against the flow great britain in the wild leader leadership leading learning mallard duck new life newborn offspring oxfordshire rearing relationship relationships rivers rural scene standing out staying close swinbrook the cotswolds uk united kingdom water fowl waterfowl wild fowl wildfowl animal animal behavior animal behaviour animal instinct animals beauty in nature best bird birdlife birds botanical botany brood caring clear water clearwater clutch cold companion companions companionship custodian cute day day old daytime early summer family group fauna female mallard fluffy hatchlings heading downstream horticultural horticulture instincts landscape landscapes life stages lifecycle mallards native british natural beauty natural habitat natural world nature nature photo nature photograph nature photography nature photos nature stock newly hatched nurture nurturing outdoor outdoors outside parent parenting picture perfect picture postcard view plant plants reproduction river rural scenes season seasons spring springtime stock image stock photograph stock photographs stream streams survival together togetherness upright verdancy verdant scene vertical water wild animals wildlife young animals large group of animals animal themes animal family young animal female animal rear view back view full length colour image color colour nobody no one no people