The ducks paddled rapidly away from him under the bridge.

Abbie sat for a long while without talking, watching the ducks paddling idly along the surface of the pond.

A nondescript brown duck paddled toward the reeds of a small marshy span north of the bridge.

The ducks saw the solitary figure approaching and, in a din of quacking, paddled urgently over to his side of the pond.

Sit on deck, sip coffee, watch ducks paddling past and locals going to work (699 770020; www.actlieu.com; double from €130/£115).

And ducks and swans paddle around in the waterways.

Geese honked along the shore in search of crumbs while the ducks paddled through the still waters, sending out ripples around them.

Swans and ducks lazily paddle around and every now and then land on small grassy islands.

Of the many millponds where ducks and geese once paddled, only broken-down mill races are still to be found.

There was a second egg in the makeshift nest but his duck was paddling around the bathtub.