As I rounded the bend in the path by the wetlands, there was Marika, feet firmly planted in the new grass, grazing the fresh crop that flourishes in the early spring, perky tail bouncing as she nibbled away.

Ah, but where was her mate, Precious – the KING? Look again! There he was, proudly seated on the nest. No, it hasn’t been completed yet. No, there aren’t any eggs but Marika is a no-nonsense mate and has him well trained! He’s practicing for the coming weeks when he’ll take over for her if she needs a break from the long hours of sitting.

His enthusiasm knows no bounds, and he’s been working hard to reconstruct last year’s nest. He’s a Quality Control fanatic, and continuously builds it up, reinforcing the boundaries until it qualifies as a penthouse! Now he’s either trying it out for size, or taking a little time now and then to stand guard in the middle of the path as he’s done for so many years. If you visit Lost Lagoon these days, you’re likely to meet him on sentry duty, or if not, just look into the wetlands where he may be doing his time on the eggs!