Duck Tales! (Still not what I expected to wake up to this morning)

[AlanThePig]

With the last thread almost full and a new clutch of ducklings I thought it might be time for another thread.

So this morning I was happily working away in the front garden when I happened to glance at the duck house, and saw two faces staring back....
Now I know our resident duck Egwina was on eggs, but I was convinced they were due to hatch somewhere around the end of the month. Quite surprised to spot ducklings.

As the day has worn on 14 little fluffy yellow ducklings have slowly emerged into the sunlight and launched themselves (not very gracefully) into the water. I say 14, I'm not 100% certain yet as they aren't keeping still enough to count and there might be more inside.

Difficult to photograph all together at present as some are in and some are out and they haven't yet come close enough to see. There was 12 (I think!) in this photo and 2 on the deck.
Congratulations Egwina!

My bet would be Egwina buggering off overnight and them either wandering into danger or drowning because they hadn't realised they could hop up on the platform.
It is weird but I'd have thought if something had taken them we'd have found feathers or remains, or one of the neighbours would have.

I don't think the moorhens helped the situation this year, they were so bossy over the space the ducks didn't dare nest. Be interesting to see if they return in the spring.

If she buggered off overnight I'm afraid they might have died from cold. The fluff won't keep them warm, they can't be left overnight in the cold until they have adult, warmth-retaining feathers. Poor mites.