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Original poster

NOT what I expected to wake up to this morning...

969 replies

AlanThePig · 18/10/2020 15:12

Some of you might recall we have a rather large pond in our garden. On it we have a pair of ducks. First day of lockdown appeared ten, beautiful ducklings. They grew up, flew away and that was that until next spring.

Except I woke up to this......
There are ten more (seven in this photo) and I can only assume the warm weather has thoroughly confused her.

I'm now going spend the next few months fretting over bloody wildlife.

NOT what I expected to wake up to this morning...
OP posts:
Thread gallery
87
NoGoodPunsLeft · 30/12/2020 19:58

I actually feel quite sad that Dot is on her own, what a muppet 🤦🏻‍♀️

NoGoodPunsLeft · 30/12/2020 19:57

@AlanThePig

I think Dot will fledge but I hope she returns. Sadly I'm not sure I'll ever know it's her again as she'll be a pretty generic female duck.
Hopefully you'll be able to tell from her personality Smile

This thread & the play mobile one are the highlights of my weeks at the moment, such lovely threads in such crappy times. So thank you Smile

Soubriquet · 30/12/2020 19:56

I dunno...bet she will bugger off, but when she returns, she will make herself heard by quacking loudly when she sees you.

Original poster
AlanThePig · 30/12/2020 19:43

I think Dot will fledge but I hope she returns. Sadly I'm not sure I'll ever know it's her again as she'll be a pretty generic female duck.

OP posts:
TracyBeakerSoYeah · 30/12/2020 18:54

Thanks @AlanThePig
As Todger says Dot certainly is very sensible.
I hope she stays & eventually brings up her own family in your pond.

TodgerStrunk · 30/12/2020 18:26

Sounds like Dot is the sensible one. Her own duck house, pond to herself, food on tap and people willing to let her in the house if it gets colder. Why would she move on?

FawnDrench · 30/12/2020 18:09

Ahh - Dot the deserted duckling!
She doesn't want to leave you...

Original poster
AlanThePig · 30/12/2020 15:56

@TracyBeakerSoYeah

Is Dot old enough to have a boyfriend? I don't want her to be lonely.
In theory yes. 17-24 weeks from what I've read which takes us to February/April. DH tells me he's read ducks often return to the ponds where they were hatched, so theoretically we could end up with a lot more ducks in spring than we had this year.....
OP posts:
TracyBeakerSoYeah · 30/12/2020 15:21

Is Dot old enough to have a boyfriend?
I don't want her to be lonely.

Strawberrypancakes · 30/12/2020 15:18

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

101namesforme · 30/12/2020 14:25

Oh no, Dot is on her own now Sad, I just don't want them to go at all! (Talk about living vicariously Grin)

Original poster
AlanThePig · 30/12/2020 14:06

@BarbarasStripedHands

Beautiful photos. I really don't want this thread to end. Is there any likelihood of Egwina and Duncan staying all year round (and having more babies) or will they bugger off?
I imagine Duncan and Weena will be back in the next few weeks. They had a clutch the first year that didn't hatch so this year is their second year here. They do come and go but ultimately seem to settle here to nest so I expect them back for the spring.

In other news, we are now down to just one, and it's Dot. I did wonder last night if they would go as the pond really iced over. I was a bit worried tbh. Went out first thing and was greeted by loud quacking and spotted Dot in the only small patch under the tree that wasn't frozen. She's been fed and seems happy enough but I feel so sad that she's on her own now. If I could bring her in I would bless her.

NOT what I expected to wake up to this morning...
OP posts:
BarbarasStripedHands · 30/12/2020 13:12

Beautiful photos.
I really don't want this thread to end.
Is there any likelihood of Egwina and Duncan staying all year round (and having more babies) or will they bugger off?

Horsemad · 30/12/2020 12:05

'Dot and the Websters' 😆 Love it!

Original poster
AlanThePig · 29/12/2020 23:10

@forrestgreen thank you. Kind of keeps me going some days too. [Flowers]

OP posts:
Original poster
AlanThePig · 29/12/2020 23:09

@MsCornelia probably a good time to mention procrastination is my middle name.... I have wonderful ideas for this blog, but I've not actually sat down and started it yet. I will do it. I will.

@TracyBeakerSoYeah that's a fabulous idea. They will become Dot and the Websters, which sounds a bit like an 80s band.

Could do with this snow buggering off now. I want to get some fine netting along that front fence and plant some Virginia creeper on there to encourage more insects. Great time of year to plant them but obviously not with snow. I also need to order the wood for the start of duckingham Palace but again, procrastination.

OP posts:
TracyBeakerSoYeah · 29/12/2020 22:38

@AlanThePig do as George Foreman did & call all the boy ducks the same name - Webster 1,2,3 & 4

MsCornelia · 29/12/2020 22:33

Wow, just read the whole thread, amazing! What is the name of your instagram / blog 😀? Would love to follow.

forrestgreen · 29/12/2020 20:55

What an amazing place to live. You've done an amazing job and this thread is the sunshine in my life at the moment. Thankyou

Original poster
AlanThePig · 29/12/2020 20:38

@TracyBeakerSoYeah

Apart from Dot & her parents, have you named any of the other kids ducklings?
No, still pretty impossible to tell them apart. Dot is small, loud and obviously female so she sticks out a bit, the others are I think, all male so pretty indistinguishable. Shame really as I'm desperate to call one Webster.

There were moorhens here before we bought the place, must research and see if there is a way I can encourage them. Encouraging the ducks was reasonably easy, I put a pair of decoy ducks on the bank and Egwina and Duncan arrived within days.

OP posts:
TracyBeakerSoYeah · 29/12/2020 20:18

Apart from Dot & her parents, have you named any of the other kids ducklings?

Jeremyironseverything · 29/12/2020 19:48

Just read the whole thread. So very heartwarming.

Original poster
AlanThePig · 29/12/2020 19:29

This was this morning. I was worried at one point the whole pond would end up with a covering of snow. I then panicked that someone might mistake it for garden and walk in it.
Happily it thawed a bit.

NOT what I expected to wake up to this morning...
OP posts:
TheSilveryPussycat · 29/12/2020 18:37

Re thread preservation. A candidate for Classics?

Courgetteflorette · 29/12/2020 17:45

Delurking to say thank you for this lovely thread and beautiful photos, I’ve really enjoyed following the ducklings and pond stories. Brings a smile to my face and feels like a moment of calm in a crazy world. Looking forward to more tales of the pond!

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