#Operationmallard 3 lovelies! Let me tell you how stressful Dad's morning was! Yesterday (21st of June) lots of the ducklings hatched, but Mrs Mallard showed no desire to leave the nest and take the family down to the water. Dad could only count about 6 ducklings at most. It might have been that the last 2 or 3 eggs hadn't hatched, or she just didn't fancy leaving yet but either way, they all settled down by evening and stayed the night. Dad got up just before 4am, thinking she'd want to leave at dawn, like last year.

Calling all #operationmallard lovelies! I have an update on the current nesting duck on Dad's balcony.

If you just read that and wondered if you were having a Groundhog day moment, you might have missed this thread:

https://twitter.com/EmApocalyptic/status/1396873433628258305?s=20

So Dad and I were expecting the current clutch of 9 eggs to hatch on Wednesday. However, he phoned me this morning to say that Momma duck's behaviour ('OG Mrs Mallard' from 2020) has changed today, so they might be hatching earlier than we thought!

Ummmm... #operationmallard lovelies? I have some unexpected news and you might want to get a drink and a blanket. I am quite nervous about telling you all about this, I have to say.

I got this message from my Dad a couple of days ago: He said he did a proper double-take. He couldn't believe it. It was like Groundhog Day, but with ducks. He was just stumbling to the kitchen first thing in the morning, glanced out the window... and there was a duck there!

"IS THAT ANOTHER DUCK?!" I replied.

Lovelies, I have an #operationmallard update! A BIG ONE! Pull up a chair, maybe grab a blanket and a cuppa? You're about to get on a bit of an emotional rollercoaster... I got a message from my Dad at about 8:30am, saying that Operation Mallard 2 was about to begin! I replied, wishing him luck, then he phoned and said he'd seen two tiny little duckling heads peeping out so far. One problem though: the wind.

Good morning, my lovelies. In case you missed it last night, I've put an update video on YouTube all about how Dad is preparing for the big day - he made some footage for you containing cute diagrams! #operationmallard A few people have asked why he's not just taking them down in the lift. He feels that the bucket approach causes the least distress to Mrs Mallard, makes sure that the maternal bond is preserved and is also the fastest solution.

Lovelies, I've just had a chat with Dad and there are a couple of updates I thought you might like if you're following #operationmallard :) First is regarding Mr Mallard as a few of you have asked about him. I've been fixated on Mrs Mallard, so never asked him before! So Mr Mallard is nearby! He stands on the big white bridge over the canal and they quack at each other! Earlier in the nesting cycle, they saw much more of each other - she lays an egg per day so they had to... do some lovin' daily ;) [feels so British and awkward!]

Oh. My. Goodness. Okay... errrr... well my tweet thread yesterday about my Dad and #operationmallard seems to have gone viral.

Umm... good morning everyone who's now invested in this story. I shall do my very best to look after you. Just need to finish this cup of tea... My stream is moving so fast and I am so overwhelmed I can't reply to everyone otherwise my brain will get too fried and I won't be able to do the thing I want to work on today. But please do keep sending your stories about ducks and other birds nesting at your homes!

Bloody hell, everything is just awful and I am so angry about so many things... so I'm going to tell you about something good happening, something tiny and sweet and inconsequential in the hope it might help you if you are feeling as overwhelmed by horror as I am. My Dad lives in an apartment near a canal and a certain duck has taken a liking to his balcony. So much so that she nested there last year and is nesting there again this year. But there are some things you need to know about this situation.

Lovelies, I haven't been on Twitter much over the last year or so, certainly not in the way I used to be. I feel the need to talk about why, so I'm just gonna splurge it all out here to get through it. It's gonna be a long thread. [Takes a very deep breath.] Before I start, please understand that I will probably not reply to most responses. I simply can't, and hopefully by the end of this thread the reason will be clear. Please don't think I am being rude or ignoring you.

Okay, so I need to talk to you about something. Something I committed to being more open about a few years back. Living with anxiety. This is the ‘launching a book whilst having an anxiety disorder’ thread. So the last couple of weeks I have barely been on Twitter, just popping in occasionally to RT a nice mention or two, or reply to people. This isn’t the way I like to use Twitter. I wasn’t being very social.