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!

*Renegade of Dunk
*
👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻😁

Renegade of Dunk - inspired

Tried to post this earlier but my internet is still nuts. Managed to upload it to instagram but not here.
Anyway, hopefully, here's Duncan flexing his wings at the interloper male.

Maybe Benedict and Florence for the new pair?

My Eglantine says she’d be honoured to have her favourite food named after her!

How do you know that the male is an offspring of Duncan’s?

I mean....all ducks looks alike apart from the male and female

Are you accusing Egwina of infidelity, @Soubriquet? Surely it is True Love!

How is all 4(?) ducks doing?

All 14 still doing well, and really grown over the last few days. I'll get a photo when I get chance but it's been two days of solid rain and gales here so I've not ventured out much other than to toss food in a few times a day, certainly not hanging around for pictures 😂

They seem to have moved back in to the reinstated duck island. I put some hay in the house on Sunday before I pushed it back out and it's been the warm, dry spot the ducklings have headed for so at least they have been warm.

We still have the second pair. It varies between all out warfare and best mates so I don't know whether they will be allowed to stay here and nest. At one point there were ducks lined up on the neighbours roof taking turns to bomb the water. It was all a bit nuts. Seems a bit calmer today happily.

Ah I’m glad

Duck wars continue. I nipped to the shop earlier and the female thats not Egwina was sat on the roof quacking loudly. When I got back she was sat on the bloody gatepost and refusing to move. Its all out war again.
Meanwhile, heres a not so little duckling.

She’s a Karen duck!

Egwinas babies are now toddlers so she’s demanding the pond all to herself because she is “pregnant” and obviously needs the space more

Wow they’re so grown up!

They're so big already 😍

When you see them against Egwina you realise how big they are getting!

Wow! Egwina is obviously doing a great job!

I love walking along our canal at the moment spotting ducklings ☺️

I saw one woman feeding parents & 5 ducklings yesterday from her garden which backs onto the canal, I think she had floating food too so you aren't the only mug duck mother in the midlands 😁

It's all that food you're providing!

chilling in the sun

Awww, look at Egwina standing proudly by. Beautiful.

They made me chuckle with how he was lying on the other ones foot!

Lovely!

It's so lovely to have an uplifting thread, it's like a shaft of sunlight on a rainy day.

Don't they grow quickly? They must be very well fed.

@Knotaknitter

It's so lovely to have an uplifting thread, it's like a shaft of sunlight on a rainy day.

Don't they grow quickly? They must be very well fed.

They grow incredibly quickly. They fledge on average at around 50 days old but will be fully mature at around 100 days, so it's all rather rapid, I'll swear you can see them growing at one point as they go in the house one night small and cute and appear the next morning all gangly with funny little wings.

In theory Egwina could have a second clutch around August time, although last year she was incredibly confused with the warm autumn weather and produced a clutch in October, most of which miraculously survived.