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.

Did you know ducks also have a corkscrew penis?

Also a female will have two tunnels inside her. If she likes the male, she will allow her to fertilise her eggs

If she doesn’t? She sends the penis down a dead end hole

That's awful. I never realised it was that bad.
Poor female ducks :(

@Soubriquet

Did you know ducks also have a corkscrew penis?

Also a female will have two tunnels inside her. If she likes the male, she will allow her to fertilise her eggs

If she doesn’t? She sends the penis down a dead end hole

I did know this. I know far more than I ever wanted to about duck mating....

Meanwhile I’ve just run outside to break up a scrap between two pigeons. Happy Sunday everyone

Ironically I knew all this yet somehow managed to forget????

We have ducks at work too!

🤦🏼‍♀️

I've been lurking for ages. I saw ducks in the park today and all I could think about was the corkscrew penis and feeling sorry for the females!

Still love the thread though.

@coastergirl

I've been lurking for ages. I saw ducks in the park today and all I could think about was the corkscrew penis and feeling sorry for the females!

Still love the thread though.

Changes that idyllic cute little ducks bobbing on the water narrative a bit doesn’t it. All quiet after the pigeon scrap. A lot warmer today and the fish are at the top. Sat on the bank for a bit feeding them breadcrumbs. Spring is a sprunging

We went for a walk along our local canal yesterday morning, DD was interested in the ducks playing 'chase'

We saw a couple of moorhens fighting, they have such a cute squeak we couldn't take them seriously 🤣

This is the loveliest thread I’ve read in a long time.

Alanthepig- you and your DH sound so wonderful, even if you are beholden to ducks. It’s great that you’ve really invested in getting the pond to be perfect for the local wildlife.

twitter.com/JohannaKoBe/status/1364869415850938369

Have you seen this? The #ihaveaduckonmybalcony tag on Twitter. A seventh floor balcony

@CannotOperateOnThisFailure

twitter.com/JohannaKoBe/status/1364869415850938369

Have you seen this? The #ihaveaduckonmybalcony tag on Twitter. A seventh floor balcony

Ha! That does not shock me. They will nest anywhere.

I may cook Egwina for Easter lunch if she keeps doing this..... (as an aside, after I took the photo she fell out backwards and landed with a splash. She styled it out wonderfully though 😂

😁 great pic!

😂😂😂

We’ve still only got the one pair. She’s been nesting today, annoyingly in the old house. She has ventured into the house on duck island but looks like she prefers the old place.

Been lovely here today. Ive put some Virginia creeper in on the front fence and then dragged DH to the garden centre for some bamboo for pots on the back patio and some wild bird seed. Took the wrong car completely and found four almost 7ft bamboo for a bargain price that I couldn’t fit in his car properly. Ended up with me sat in the car park whilst DH ferried home giant bamboo two at a time.... I think he’s just about forgiven me 😂

I’m having a bit of an eBay declutter at present and anything raised will go on more plants for around the pond. Definitely thinking a few more acers and some prairie type grasses. Trouble is I watch a gardening program and get grand ideas without the budget.

She obviously prefers "quirky and lived in" rather than a bland newbuild

My experience is that you only need to buy one grass plant. By the end of this season you will have as many as you can ever want, as will your neighbours too.

Hmmm you’re probably right. I do like prairie planting though. Need to have more of a plan rather than my usual “ooh that’s nice!” When I get to the garden Center 😂

All quiet here still. The geese visited briefly last night but when I got back from the shop they had gone.

One pair of ducks. Pond looks a bit like a duck exploded as it's covered in small downy feathers. I now know where the phrase 'feathering your nest' comes from. She certainly prefers the 'character property' and is ignoring the new build, though they do tend to chill out on it in the daytime.

Have now transferred my enormous bamboo to big pots and am extremely happy to see those on the patio and not the half constructed roof of next doors shed (this bothers me, DH thinks it funny but it's an ugly, half built thing and it's in my eyeline)
As an aside, my Bamboo budget was only £115. I went to the garden centre wanting 4. He had 4 and a straggler left but they were £40 each. I told him my budget, asked nicely and left with all 4. Pays to ask sometimes!

Lots of plans for the next few weeks weather permitting. Mostly involve fence replacing and painting, but I have a an idea to stencil a few of the slabs in the back garden and brighten those a bit. Also thinking of putting a bed out around the pond with a few plants in to brighten things up so researching what loves a good moist soil and grows quick as I have no patience....
Suspect whatever I put in there I'll find a duck in the middle of it.

Gosh you have been busy. Good work on the bargain bamboo.

I thought of you today - I went on a big walk in a country park which was full of hopeful male pigeons strutting their stuff and a pair of ducks absolutely going for each other.

Also a family of seven tiny baby geese! Very odd time for them to be around, I would have thought?

@MaggieFS

Gosh you have been busy. Good work on the bargain bamboo.

I thought of you today - I went on a big walk in a country park which was full of hopeful male pigeons strutting their stuff and a pair of ducks absolutely going for each other.

Also a family of seven tiny baby geese! Very odd time for them to be around, I would have thought?

It is a few weeks early for Geese yes! Nature is all a bit odd over this last year. We've had the pigeon scraps as well. Everything seems full of testosterone haha The other pair of ducks were here very briefly yesterday, but a snap ensued between the two males and they went off on their way again. I was a bit disappointed really as I now don't think Duncan and Egwina will tolerate another pair on 'their' pond.

I have completed the MN goal of getting all my ducks (and geese) in a row. I feel there should be a prize 😂

I have completed the MN Goal of getting my ducks AND Geese in a row.
I feel there should be a prize 😂

Oh my AlanThePig.
Great photo.
If you can google The Irish Times front page photo of a murmuration of starlings ( it's in today's edition). It is a spectacular photograph.
Perhaps someone could do a link for this thread ?
It really is amazing.

@LadyEloise

Oh my AlanThePig. Great photo. If you can google The Irish Times front page photo of a murmuration of starlings ( it's in today's edition). It is a spectacular photograph. Perhaps someone could do a link for this thread ? It really is amazing.

Article on it here. How stunning:

www.irishtimes.com/culture/tv-radio-web/murmurations-over-lough-ennell-1.4501083

I love this time of year, everything seems to be alive.