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

[AlanThePig]

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.

I seem to recall reading something about their feathers not being waterproof at this age and drowning being common.

Anyway it’s gone 2am, I can’t sleep, can’t see anything on CCTV because it’s too dark so am stood in the window trying to hold my iPhone camera as still as anything to try and get a night shot.
I think I can see two blobs on the platform that’s possibly Duncan and Weena. The streetlight reflection doesn’t help but it does look like they are both there.

Am now going to try and sleep.
Bloody ducks.

This is by far my favourite thread to keep checking in on!!!

That's the best thing I've read about for a while!

Oh wow it’s still beautiful and an absolute dream house @AlanThePig! X

I love this thread, thank you OP

I can’t believe your ducks are floozies though 😂

I don’t know how I missed this gem of a thread!!

Is the floozy home yet 😂

Tossed and turned all bloody night worrying and there they both sit like nothing has gone on.
Amazing. So relieved though.

Maybe a name change to alantheduck??

Sniggered at floozy ducks and duck social services 😂

Amazing pond!

ducklings are waterproof.

We used to keep ducks.
If they hatch on the side of the pond they are pretty much waterproof from day one. If they hatch elsewhere (like in our duck house, which was in our garden across the road from the village pond) then the first time they go out on the water, you can see that they get wet and sink a bit, then they come back to land and start madly preening. They are spreading their oil over their fluffly-not-yet-feathers.

When they swim again, they float. If they are not waterproof, they literally sink as their feathers get wet.

We have occasionally seen older duckling who haven't yet been near the water, and they can be in trouble if they go out too far!
It seems as if the oil gland, or the spreading of it is only triggered by actually getting wet.

@steppemum

ducklings are waterproof.

We used to keep ducks.
If they hatch on the side of the pond they are pretty much waterproof from day one. If they hatch elsewhere (like in our duck house, which was in our garden across the road from the village pond) then the first time they go out on the water, you can see that they get wet and sink a bit, then they come back to land and start madly preening. They are spreading their oil over their fluffly-not-yet-feathers.

When they swim again, they float. If they are not waterproof, they literally sink as their feathers get wet.

We have occasionally seen older duckling who haven't yet been near the water, and they can be in trouble if they go out too far!
It seems as if the oil gland, or the spreading of it is only triggered by actually getting wet.

Thats interesting. I thought until the adult feathers came through they were vulnerable. Learn something new every day.

Anyway. Here are the despicable two and one of the babies. I figured after panicking you all I owed you a photo 😂

Awww that lovely photo of the baby posing is perfect

But still, come on floozy mum! That’s terrible parenting

I bet you’re going to watch them like a hawk tonight to see if she fucks off like usual

Ahhhh so lovely this is still going!!

Where does she go at night??

OP maybe you can catch her and stick a tracker on!!

Loved the little video and today's photos.

@Soubriquet

Awww that lovely photo of the baby posing is perfect

But still, come on floozy mum! That’s terrible parenting

I bet you’re going to watch them like a hawk tonight to see if she fucks off like usual

Absolutely. Come half four the curtains are drawn and we rarely go out at night so we've not realised what she's been up to. Tonight I shall be carefully watching the CCTV.

I'd love to know where they go. When they first arrived 2 years ago they would turn up later afternoon and leave in a morning, weirdly except for weekends. We used to joke they had a 9-5 in the local park and didn't work Saturday and Sunday.

Looking at maps of the area there seems to be about half a dozen similar ponds to this, which we think are probably all spring fed as well. Wether they go to one of those perhaps?
Believe me, if I thought I could catch one to fit a tracker I'd be all over it 😂

Thats interesting. I thought until the adult feathers came through they were vulnerable. Learn something new every day.

to be fair, they may well be, their baby feathers might not be that great. But it really is funny to see them sink and be wet when they first hit the water. If they had no waterproofing, they would sink eveyr time they went on the water.

Wow, I wonder where they go.

Naughty adults! I'm intrigued to know where they go! 🤔

Mystery solved!!
Lockdown now so see if they are home tonight!!

😂

They are the Six Dinner Sids of the duck world. They are double dipping

I'd love to know where they go. When they first arrived 2 years ago they would turn up later afternoon and leave in a morning, weirdly except for weekends. We used to joke they had a 9-5 in the local park and didn't work Saturday and Sunday.

Going to a park and being fed by people on their way to work?

@AlanThePig maybe you need to think of an early xmas present you really really need ..... a drone with night vision! Then you could tell us were the double dipping ducks are going. ....