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.

Lovely, Alan. Thanks so much for the duckdates.

Countdown to Sunday - will they be 4 weeks old then?

What happens when they are old enough to be independent? Do they still stick together or all disperse?

@Greengagesummer

Countdown to Sunday - will they be 4 weeks old then?

What happens when they are old enough to be independent? Do they still stick together or all disperse?

Currently all confused as we have plumbers in and out fitting the new boiler. Every time one appears they all come shooting over cheeping loudly for food 😂

They will be 4 weeks on Sunday yes, adult feathers are starting to appear and their wings growing. They currently have funny little half wings which look very amusing.

By my workings they should fledge around Christmas Day. Going on last time it happened one or two went, then returned, then were found in various spots around the village, then eventually all went leaving just Duncan and Egwina. I assume they disperse.
We've had the odd visitor back, but hard to tell if they were our previous clutch or not. I can only really tell ours because they are quite rotund for wild ducks and Egwina has a slight wobble when she walks 😂

We'll get visiting males in the New Year for breeding, but I believe they are smart enough to avoid a parent/sibling so presume they will move in different ponds.

One of the funniest moments last time was the flying lessons where she lined them all up on the bank and they took off to the other side of the pond. This particular day two didn't stop and clattered over the fence into the street. Watching two very sheepish ducks then do the walk of shame up the drive was one of the funniest things I've seen in a long time.

As I cant actually get a photo of the funny wings I googled one for you.

Haha @ ducks doing the walk of shame! 😂

You'll have to notify the village on Facebook that fledgling ducks are due over Christmas 😂

This thread has cheered me up 🙂

This is a fantastic thread. I'm just plaice-marking for easy finding.

Love this thread

We're on course for duck mother of the year again. She's not here, wasn't here when DH got up at half seven and still isn't back. Don't know if she went out last night or she's decided on a day off.

Fortunately the ducklings seem to be in a routine so they have been over for food a couple of times and have now settled on the small ledge around the duck house, perched a precariously.

I'm going to assume its the time of year thats thrown everything out for her as she was doting mum to the last clutch.

It's a good job they have you. Maybe she saw how useful you were last time and just trusts you more this time so is happy going off leaving them with you?

@JacobReesMogadishu

It's a good job they have you. Maybe she saw how useful you were last time and just trusts you more this time so is happy going off leaving them with you?

Not sure @AlanThePig is going to be any good at teaching them to fly.

Although I'm willing to reconsider dependent on photographic evidence to the contrary!

Not sure @AlanThePig is going to be any good at teaching them to fly

I can barely swim so flight is a push....
Still not back. My shopping delivery is due anytime so betting they will all be over when the door opens. She'll turn up later without a care no doubt, meanwhile I've spent the day up and down to the living room window watching HER bloody brood.

Currently trying to sink the duck house. Just had the binoculars out and there are still eggs in there, though obviously not viable.

Poor photo as I took it from the living room windows.

What is she like???!!!!!!! 😂

Still not back. Ducklings are happy enough pootling about. I've done a bit of gardening and sat down in the arbour watching life go by for a bit. Can't believe it's still warm enough to sit down there in a T Shirt.

Hoping she's back later though, don't fancy trying to catch them all tomorrow and take them to the Wildlife place.

Do they need her at this age?

@forrestgreen

Do they need her at this age?

The honest answer is, I don't know. And it's something I've been googling over the last hour. They have adult feathers coming in and are 4 weeks on Sunday which is around adult size. I assume, although she went through the flight lessons with the last clutch, that ducks will realise naturally how to fly and they aren't relying on her for food as they have muggins here. They seem sensible enough to not get out of the water unless on platform or duck house so are at least predator aware, and they are too big for a heron at this point.

In all honesty the more I think about it, trying to catch them and take them to a rescue centre would probably be more stressful than continuing on as we are.

I'm hoping she'll land before dusk and she's just headed off to her 'day job' again. Realistically she's probably been buggering off all night for a week or two without us knowing and they have been ok.

It wasn't this stressful with the first lot!!!

Right, have spoken to the British Wildlife Rescue Center. They have some adult feathers which is good, and will probably be ok, however, if they show any signs of distress etc I have the number of a local wildfowl rescue who can come and scoop them up.

Reassess tomorrow if she's still not back.

LOL @AlanThePig, who knew when you started this thread that you would start a part-time unpaid role in Duck Social Services

@IrenetheQuaint

LOL *@AlanThePig*, who knew when you started this thread that you would start a part-time unpaid role in Duck Social Services

I'd stupidly assumed this would all be happy photos of fluffy ducklings growing up and leaving home. Instead I've had murder, a disappearance and abandonment.

The rescue woman thinks Egwinas mothering instincts are all off with the time of year etc. She's still not back and I'm glued to the CCTV on the TV hoping she reappears tonight.

Hope she turns up soon.

Look who just splashed down.
My nerves are in tatters.

Basically you are their unpaid skivvy the CFers!!

Phew!!!

Dammit! I wanted to see the flying lessons.