Once upon a time (22 July, to be precise) there were ten Tufted ducklings, tiny little fluff bundles following their mother as she ventured tentatively out from the reed beds at Cardiff Bay wetlands. Seventeen days and, presumably, many hungry gulls later, there were four Tufted ducklings. It’s a sad story but almost inevitable in this bird-rich wetland setting. The good news is that the remaining four should now be large enough to be safe from more hungry gulls. When young and at a distance, the ducklings looked black but now, seen more closely, they look a rich, chocolatey brown, and drop-dead gorgeous!