THE NEWEST member of Milton Hill Bowls Club might be accused of fowl play.

But this mother duck is refusing to throw in the towel after nesting on the edge of the bowling green.

However, “throwing in the towel” is exactly what the bowlers have been told to do when the time comes to get the bird and her chicks to the nearest stretch of water.

“Mrs Mallard”, as she has been nicknamed by the club, was first spotted nesting at the foot of the green three weeks ago.

Club chairman John Roberts said: “We didn’t see her at first because she was in this flower pot.

“She was sat there on top of the eggs and it was obvious she wasn’t going to move even though we were about a yard away.”

The first time the curious bowlers looked at her there spotted just six eggs, but after two days another three could be seen.

Sheltered from the wind for now, her problems will come when her ducklings try to find their way out of the club’s 6ft high surrounding fence.

Members of the club got in touch with the RSPB to ask for advice, and were told that when the ducklings have all hatched, they should throw a towel over the mother and grab her.

Then they must gather the chicks into a cardboard box and ferry them together to the nearest body of water – in this case, the stream which runs through Steventon. RSPB Oxfordshire spokesman Fen Gerry said: “You want to contain them because anything visually that comes in their way could send them into a bit of a panic.

“There is a lot of interaction between ducks and humans, and this wouldn’t seem unusual to them socially.

“She probably feels quite safe.”

Members of the club are on “duck watch” to give what assistance they can when the time comes.

Meanwhile matches are taking place as she sits unperturbed, paying little attention to the exciting bowls battles taking place around her.

Mr Roberts joked: “We had our first games of the year last week and our team didn’t score any points – it was a duck!”

The eggs will take just 28 days to hatch, but then the young birds will all pop out within two hours of each other.

The duck watch team have been told the ducklings need to get to water within hours so they can get their first drink and their first preen.

Ms Gerry added: “We have had a lot of cases where ducks have been found in back gardens and allotments and people have even phoned us because they have seen ducks nesting up trees.”

l Anyone who finds a duck in an unusual place can contact the Domestic Fowl Trust, which offers advice as well as equipment such as nesting boxes for ducks.

It can be contacted on 01386 833083.