a vintage neighborhood restaurant recently had the land sold out from under it, and had to go searching for a new spot. the abandoned building has undergone a sort of slow-motion demolition ever since, and it hasn’t taken long for the new neighbors to move in. we were told they would be a community of 55+ seniors. but they turned out to be a mama mallard and her clutch of eight eggs, well camouflaged under the formerly neatly pruned arbor vitae hedge along the restaurant terrace. we’ve got no complaints. mallards make for excellent neighbors.

mallard nest

saint paul, minnesota