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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
ZooKeeper123 · 04/11/2020 22:11

@AlanThePig these are so cute!! But on a very random note.. do you live inside a park?! I was visiting my mums hometown (obviously I won’t say where or everyone would potentially know where you live) recently and we took a walk in a large park there and I saw the most beautiful house with the most beautiful garden and huge pond.... your pics look so much like it!!! It’s a dream house! If that does happen to be your house I’m so jealous ❤️ X

Original poster
AlanThePig · 04/11/2020 22:08

I can’t believe she leaves them every night. I don’t know if this makes me more or less worried. Difficult to see in the dark but they look like they settle on the platform overnight and don’t move until she gets home. First light they land and the ducklings come racing across to greet her.
It’s the weirdest thing.

OP posts:
RandomMess · 04/11/2020 22:05

😂

How utterly irresponsible of her!!! Letting her man completely lead her astray. They're be another clutch of fertilised eggs at this rate 😱

MaggieFS · 04/11/2020 22:04

Oh phew. Perhaps she knows lockdown is coming.

Original poster
AlanThePig · 04/11/2020 21:58

Incidentally I’ve now had to WhatsApp the lovely local wildlife lady back and apologise that my duck is a floozy and will most likely be back in the morning.

OP posts:
Original poster
AlanThePig · 04/11/2020 21:53

We’ve just made the funniest discovery.
We have cctv that looks over the pond so rewound it to see why she flew and make sure it was nothing like a predator etc
We’ve reviewed a few days worth now and discovered the little madam goes all night, returning at first light. She’s done this every night for the last week. The only reason we noticed tonight was because we went out, somethings we very rarely do.

Knowing that I’m fairly sure she’ll be back tomorrow now but I can honestly say I’ve never seen a duck go out for the night!!

OP posts:
RandomMess · 04/11/2020 21:32
Thanks
Bargebill19 · 04/11/2020 21:29

They are having a least blast down and at the dog and duck pub.
Fingers crossed they are home for 10 pm.

Original poster
AlanThePig · 04/11/2020 21:18

Worrying times here. Weena and Dunc are awol. We went out for tea at 6pm and the babies were alone. Came back at 8 and they were still alone.

Called the local wildlife lady and if they are still alone in the morning we need to catch them and get them to her sanctuary.
Worried sick and probably won’t sleep tonight now. It’s really cold and they are huddled on the platform. No way can I attempt to get to them tonight.

Bloody ducks 😥

OP posts:
Soubriquet · 04/11/2020 16:15

You need to provide bigger living accommodations!

You never know if batch number 2 decide to loaf off you for life and refuse to bugger off once fledged Grin

notaflyingmonkey · 04/11/2020 15:17

Thanks for this thread. My DS has struggled with his mental health this year, and during the first lockdown we discovered a family of geese living nearby with their babies. DS went at least once a day to feed them and keep an eye out for them.

Original poster
AlanThePig · 04/11/2020 15:17

@Sunnydaysstillhere

My dd sadly witnessed a dm duck hit by a car last year. She had a string of babies behind her who about turned and made it to some bushes. We enlisted some helpers and managed to catch all the ducklings and get them to a farm who took them in. Maybe the canal ones had similar good fortune op.
Oh so sad, but lucky you were there! I'd like to think they are off happily swimming somewhere. In fact, I'll stick with that 😁

Adult DS was here when Egwina did her disappearing act (Covid explanation, his boiler has been broken a week and he needed a shower). He was desperately excited at the idea of being able to take them in and rear them in the bath a bit like Joey in Friends. I think he was a bit disappointed when she came back, though how he planned on capturing seven ducklings on a large pond in the dark I'm still wondering.

Hope they are okay after the frost last night

There was a thick frost here first thing, all spent the night in the duck house, which must be a squeeze at this point, but they are all fine. Weather at lunchtime said milder again towards the weekend so all good.

They have been catching the insects over the pond earlier, scooting around at a million miles an hour snapping at the air. Its so funny to watch.

OP posts:
Sunnydaysstillhere · 04/11/2020 14:09

My dd sadly witnessed a dm duck hit by a car last year. She had a string of babies behind her who about turned and made it to some bushes.
We enlisted some helpers and managed to catch all the ducklings and get them to a farm who took them in. Maybe the canal ones had similar good fortune op.

CaurnieBred · 04/11/2020 13:54

Hope they are okay after the frost last night.

Horsemad · 03/11/2020 20:44

Cute video! 🙂

Original poster
AlanThePig · 03/11/2020 18:24

@Bargebill19

Don’t forget their are zander and pike in the canal - they decimate ducklings etc. You are just balancing up nature and helping to right the wrongs of humans introducing aliens species (zander) into the eco system.
Hmmm fair point that. I've aired my thoughts on alien species before in this thread, though admittedly goldfish wont do too much harm, but wish people would think.
OP posts:
Apileofballyhoo · 03/11/2020 17:46

Lovely, lovely thread, OP. Sorry about the little ones that didn't make it.

Bargebill19 · 03/11/2020 17:19

Don’t forget their are zander and pike in the canal - they decimate ducklings etc.
You are just balancing up nature and helping to right the wrongs of humans introducing aliens species (zander) into the eco system.

Original poster
AlanThePig · 03/11/2020 17:14

@Soubriquet

I would say they died because they didn’t have a devoted duck slave like yours do

Yours have shelter, food and a dh willing to leap out the car and chase off stalking cats Grin

This is true Grin.
They lived on the canal behind a work colleague of DH and appeared a few days after ours. In fairness it's a busy route and there are lots of other birds on there, DH caught up with him in the office yesterday and he said all had gone. Kind of brings me back to the 'am I interfering too much' line of thought though.
OP posts:
Soubriquet · 03/11/2020 17:05

I would say they died because they didn’t have a devoted duck slave like yours do

Yours have shelter, food and a dh willing to leap out the car and chase off stalking cats Grin

kerryleigh · 03/11/2020 16:02

Awwww! they are such a joy to watch!

Original poster
AlanThePig · 03/11/2020 15:56

@jessstan1

Nothing to fret about, just enjoy them.
Given that the 12 born on the local canal every single one has now died I think I've had more than good cause to fret.
OP posts:
jessstan1 · 03/11/2020 15:44

Nothing to fret about, just enjoy them.

Original poster
AlanThePig · 03/11/2020 15:42

They get so excited their little bums wiggle!! Couldn't upload the video here so here's a link...

streamable.com/15mzw3

OP posts:
MrsJonesAndMe · 03/11/2020 14:17

I'm just catching up and sorry to hear a few got taken/died. Hope the 7 remaining ones will make it to week 3!

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