Page 4 | NOT what I expected to wake up to this morning...

AlanThePig · 2020-10-18T14:12:06+00:00

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.

Original poster

AlanThePig · 05/04/2021 19:36

Yesterday I dragged my speaker to the front for and played Goose flight calls, much to DH's amusement.
End of tether had been reached as they started to rip out the bloody lily pads, wildflowers and snap and Duncan and Egwina. As cute as they are our little eco system here can't support 2 hulking great stinking geese without having a knock on with everything else.

Stereo was met with some interest and within half an hour of stopping the sounds they flew off. I did a lap of honour around the lounge whilst proclaiming my utter genius, which was sadly short lived as the buggers were back before I'd finished the trip around the sofa.

Anyway, the update is.....they left this morning and haven't returned. I'm hoping thats that for the year and they have found somewhere a bit more suitable to nest. I just know I'll be updating this in the morning with photos of Geese though...

OP posts:

WalkingOverRainbows · 05/04/2021 16:18

The geese have seen the five star service the ducks have and want a bit of that action!

Soubriquet · 05/04/2021 13:27

Poor geese

Let them nest

Baby geese are so cute

Original poster

AlanThePig · 02/04/2021 20:29

@NoGoodPunsLeft

We're a bit east of you & im not impressed with the forecast Monday/Tuesday ❄️

I'm only seeing male ducks on the canal, all the females must be on nests somewhere 🥚

Been nicer today than anticipated. We went out for lunch (well, a run to Burger King in Macc) and had the roof down. It was lovely, though definitely warmer up that way than here.

Got back to find 2 Geese trying to drag various bits of foliage on to duck island to fashion a nest. I do not want nesting geese. DH and I then had to drag the island out of the water to stop any further shenanigans.
I really wish they would go now, they have eaten half the plants around the pond and are making such a mess, 😭

OP posts:

NoGoodPunsLeft · 02/04/2021 18:34

We're a bit east of you & im not impressed with the forecast Monday/Tuesday ❄️

I'm only seeing male ducks on the canal, all the females must be on nests somewhere 🥚

JaninaDuszejko · 01/04/2021 10:01

Just found this thread again! Yay for Egwina's eggs.

20newnames · 31/03/2021 23:01

How exciting!! Another brood for us all to follow!

RandomMess · 31/03/2021 17:59

🐣

Original poster

AlanThePig · 31/03/2021 17:19

@Knotaknitter

I've run off to check the forecast and we don't have snow but do have a frost next week. I haven't seen a frog, I know there are some in the graden because I once had a terrible lawn mower experience and when I had the hedge taken out there were frogs everywhere for a couple of days.

I'm not keen on frogs at all, lawn mowing especially. I tend to move the mower slowly so they hop into the borders, but weirdly they are mostly around the back garden than in the front by the pond. We have big, fat toads as well. If you move a planter etc this time of year one will hop out and I'll invariably screech, because even though I know it's likely to happen it scares the shit out of my every time.

Forecast for us (midlands) earlier was cold, chance of snow Sunday and Monday. Thankfully I've not yet put any plants out, my kitchen window is heaving with sweet peas and black eyed Susan's that cant go out yet. I really do need a proper greenhouse but the kitchen window is just such a successful little spot.

OP posts:

Knotaknitter · 31/03/2021 16:42

I've run off to check the forecast and we don't have snow but do have a frost next week. I haven't seen a frog, I know there are some in the graden because I once had a terrible lawn mower experience and when I had the hedge taken out there were frogs everywhere for a couple of days.

Original poster

AlanThePig · 31/03/2021 16:37

@TheSilveryPussycat

Spring has definitely sprung then!

Everything has bloody sprung. There are frogs everywhere. I keep finding them on the drive flattened as they get run over at night (no chance of seeing them), the pond is just moving with them. Fortunately there also seems to be a lot of newts, who in turn eat the frog spawn, so hopefully the numbers will even out again.

I sat on the pier in the sun earlier and everywhere I looked there were frogs, pond skimmers, bees. It was wonderful. The downside is the snow we're forecast for the weekend.....

OP posts:

TheSilveryPussycat · 31/03/2021 16:34

Spring has definitely sprung then!

ZeldaPrincessOfHyrule · 31/03/2021 16:10

Yay! Go Egwina!!! Excited for more ducklings!

Original poster

AlanThePig · 31/03/2021 15:24

I have news.....
Egwina is on eggs!

OP posts:

Original poster

AlanThePig · 23/03/2021 23:19

@RandomMess

Not only do you provide too notch meals on demand but also security!

I did get some video of her shouting at me. I’ll try and upload it tomorrow. I say try, in none duck news our internet stopped working properly back in November. Weirdly we have download speed but virtually no upload speed so uploading images has to be done via rather patchy 4g. BT couldn’t fix it, Talk Talk actually made it worse and we are waiting to transfer to a specialist company next week who guarantee to fix it. It’s been a bit of a nightmare. DH has really struggled to WFH because sending an email is a half hour task.

In other weird news, found a pile of feathers outside the front door earlier. Went back through the cctv and saw possibly the biggest crow I’ve ever seen rip the feathers from a pigeons tail mid flight. Pigeon survived, few less feathers than before, but forgive my crassness it seems if it’s not shagging it’s fighting at the moment. I bloody hate spring 😂

OP posts:

RandomMess · 23/03/2021 21:05

Not only do you provide too notch meals on demand but also security!

RandomMess · 23/03/2021 21:04

Awwwww that is amazing she came to you to help her!!!

AlfonsoTheTerrible · 23/03/2021 16:59

What a wonderful thread. I'm so glad it's in Classics now.

Original poster

AlanThePig · 23/03/2021 16:32

[quote VexedofVirginiaWater]This story reminded me of you OP

www.aol.co.uk/living/pesky-swan-enjoys-knocking-on-doors-with-his-beak-112946003.html[/quote]
Thats hilarious, and I think if mine could reach the letterbox they would knock.
Had an amusing moment with Egwina earlier. I could hear quacking, loud panicked quacks. I opened the front door and she was on the mat, looking up shouting at me and doing this tail feather shaking thing. It was so funny, a bit like when Donald Duck has a moment.

Anyway, she was trying to say 'hey, there is a male here thats not Duncan and I can't get back to my nest!'
Ended up chasing male away and she returned to her eggs. It really made me laugh though. She was so annoyed.

OP posts:

VexedofVirginiaWater · 23/03/2021 15:41

This story reminded me of you OP

www.aol.co.uk/living/pesky-swan-enjoys-knocking-on-doors-with-his-beak-112946003.html

Original poster

AlanThePig · 15/03/2021 12:05

@Knotaknitter

We had a local stroppy goose who made the papers and was the subject of a police visit. It wasn't me that turned him in but he bruised my leg through jeans after he grabbed me. He'd had a go at several walkers and someone finally complained. My crime was walking down the road past the farm gate. The gate was shut, goose proofed and he had to hiss at passers by from behind bars.

Its the territorial behaviour that worries me with them (that and the poo!) Its a long drive to walk up and I can envisage an angry goose chasing people up and down it. I know they can give a pretty nasty bite.

They aren't here today so I'm reasonably happy they are just visiting again and not intending on moving in. Hopefully....

OP posts:

Knotaknitter · 15/03/2021 09:33

We had a local stroppy goose who made the papers and was the subject of a police visit. It wasn't me that turned him in but he bruised my leg through jeans after he grabbed me. He'd had a go at several walkers and someone finally complained. My crime was walking down the road past the farm gate. The gate was shut, goose proofed and he had to hiss at passers by from behind bars.

Original poster

AlanThePig · 14/03/2021 23:10

Aww you’re all welcome lol. We actually moved here not just for the pond but because our collection of useless crap outgrew the old house. We are huge Star Wars nuts and we’re both 501st at one point. Before the world went to shit we did a lot of costume events for charity. It was always great fun and I made a lot of lovely friends. Not sure after lockdown I’d get my thighs in PVC anymore but that’s probably another very different thread 😂

Anyway, I was supposedly having a lie in this morning. 6am two geese arrived loudly. 7am two more turned up. Lots of honking and flapping.
9am and I’m in that lovely light sleep when I’m woken by more flapping and splashing and DH yelling “oi! Stoppit! Oi” I then hear him shaking the food tub and that’s followed by a bit more shouting.

Looked out of the window and Duncan was actually trying to murder a rival. DH said he thought he was going to have to fish out a dead duck because Dunc was holding the poor thing underwater and wouldn’t let it up for ages , hence the yelling from DH.
Happily he did eventually let go and the rival flew off pretty quick.

Haven’t seen Egwina all day though since her morning feed. Have a feeling she might be in the house, in which case she’s on eggs. I need to try and get a better look tomorrow.

OP posts:

NoGoodPunsLeft · 14/03/2021 20:11

@RandomMess

I do want to come for a visit!!!!

Me too, what more could you want? Wildfowl, a pond & movie memorabilia

TheChampagneGalop · 12/03/2021 14:39

Congratulations for the Classics move and for getting your ducks AND Geese in a row.