It's really amazing how careful he was with them. I didn't feel too bad about it since they probably wouldn't have survived the dead of winter and where he decided to sit (in retrospect I should have moved the eggs and hoped he stayed where I put them but alas, I didn't know!). I built a giant nest around him and trekked out to him a couple of times a day to check on him and see if there were any peeps. But he got the babies back when it warmed up and was a great dad even after a couple of months without them.
(though there was nothing holding them in, but I suppose they were in someone’s yard pond, lol!) They are just sooo cute though. Are the two white ducks in your picture Mandarins? Never heard of them being white but they look just like them. Goldeneyes are really cool, we saw a Barrows last year, which is rare for our area, but often we see commons in the winter months. Do you have a hooded merg male to go with the female in your pic? They are incredible. A year ago we lived in a house with a community pond in our backyard and saw almost every type of wild waterfowl there. You’re making me miss that so much. Just looking out the back window and watching all of the gorgeous wild ducks!
I researched it last year but then kind of gave up on it. We will see though! Knowing now that you have a lot of breeding mandarins makes me want to re-open that dream. 
Also wondering if you have or have had buffleheads? I love them so much, they are so beautiful!
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