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Original poster

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

969 replies

AlanThePig · 18/10/2020 15:12

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.

NOT what I expected to wake up to this morning...
OP posts:
Thread gallery
87
CongealedCrags · 09/04/2021 15:22

Last year she put them in a cat carrier and carried them downstairs but I can't seem to find any of the photos online.

RandomMess · 09/04/2021 18:51

I remember the fake Roman coins thread!!!

Original poster
AlanThePig · 09/04/2021 20:00

@CongealedCrags

Last year she put them in a cat carrier and carried them downstairs but I can't seem to find any of the photos online.
Yes, didn't quite go to plan that. Not beaten yet, especially as his love of magnet fishing has just been reignited by some program on Sky called River Hunters....
OP posts:
AlohaMolly · 09/04/2021 21:25

I’ve just spent the last hour and a half reading through this thread and am hanging on tenterhooks now as to whether Egwina will have yet more babies!

Soubriquet · 10/04/2021 07:43

What about Gabby?

Anymore of her?

Soubriquet · 13/04/2021 11:31

How are the eggs cooking?

Original poster
AlanThePig · 13/04/2021 12:37

Sorry @Soubriquet I missed your Gabby Question!

Geese are now very occasional overnighters so I think thats that with them. Ironically as they buggered off and I got excited at the prospect of starting to dig out my new flower beds it bloody snowed.

I dont have a Greenhouse as I've not really got anywhere suitable to put one, so I grow in the kitchen window. I'm now at the point where I've got dozens of trays of plants I have to put on the kitchen table overnight as it's still too cold to leave them out. DH says it's like living in a nursery..

I watched some program on BBC3 the other night with Chris Packham and it occurred to me there is still a big lack of pollinators around the pond, and although we have dragonflies I think we can probably support a lot more, so part of the plan for the new bed is lots of flowers to assist that.

Egwina is doing well. She only really comes out now once, occasionally twice and follows her routine of wash, wing stretch, shout at door.
Meanwhile Duncan has found a new friend. We've got an extra male, not one of ours as he's quite timid but he and Dunc seem to be besties, until dinner time.... Considering changing Duncans name to Joey because the phrase "Joey doesn't share food' has never been more appropriate. As soon as the food hits the water Duncan charges at the other male and chases him off. It's quite funny to watch actually.

Oh, Ronald is doing well also I'm told. Still not quite ready to fly off but he's getting there!

OP posts:
Soubriquet · 13/04/2021 12:43

Oh fab to hear?

Can’t wait till we see those ducklings

Original poster
AlanThePig · 13/04/2021 13:49

@Soubriquet

Oh fab to hear?

Can’t wait till we see those ducklings

I confess I'm still a bit gutted that the other pair didn't stay and nest as well, but I guess it means it's not as expensive.

With the geese incident it's left us rethinking how to construct Duckingham Palace. Initially the idea was for a large house with lots of space around it and 2 smaller floating platforms. I now think if we do that it will encourage geese to nest on those platforms, so I think it's going to have to be scaled back a fair bit so as not to give them any nesting opportunity. The main house will be bigger and nicer for Egwina though.

And as I type this two bloody geese have landed.....

OP posts:
Soubriquet · 13/04/2021 13:51

There must be a goosenet somewhere where they are telling each other the best place to go

Original poster
AlanThePig · 13/04/2021 13:56

@Soubriquet

There must be a goosenet somewhere where they are telling each other the best place to go
If there is I'd have thought we'd have been struck off it after a weekend of running after them and playing flight calls 😂

My friend has a theory they split their time between here and a golf course up the road, as when she's been there and they aren't there, they are here and vice versa.
Either way they are currently sat right where I want to dig again. Grr.

OP posts:
Soubriquet · 13/04/2021 15:15

Oh god the images of two looney people chasing after geese whilst crying out geese calls is Grin

CongealedCrags · 13/04/2021 15:17

Could you make it a large house with a duck-sized entrance, or can geese squeeze through very small holes?

Original poster
AlanThePig · 13/04/2021 16:25

@CongealedCrags

Could you make it a large house with a duck-sized entrance, or can geese squeeze through very small holes?
Yes, that’s the plan I think. I now know why I couldn’t find a duck house with a wider platform around it. So will be bigger nicer house, small entrance and small surround.

Meanwhile goose is ripping up plants to nest again. Have now surrounded probably 70% of the pond with plant netting to keep them off the banks. Just been to the bin and was hissed and stomped at. I’d taken a water pistol as I half expected it so I won that round.

OP posts:
WildRosie · 13/04/2021 17:42

Have you got any tadpoles yet ? One of the ponds at a local country park was teeming with them yesterday - I guess most had hatched that morning and the rest weren't going to be far behind. These were all toadpoles going by the stringy spawn. No frogspawn to be seen.

Original poster
AlanThePig · 13/04/2021 19:01

@WildRosie

Have you got any tadpoles yet ? One of the ponds at a local country park was teeming with them yesterday - I guess most had hatched that morning and the rest weren't going to be far behind. These were all toadpoles going by the stringy spawn. No frogspawn to be seen.
I've honestly not looked, been too busy waging war on geese.... I'll have a good look tomorrow. We did have loads of mating frogs so presume there will be a fair bit, though the newts eat them as well as the Kingfisher.

Meanwhile, I've ordered 40 meters of netting from Amazon coming in the morning. I WILL NOT BE BEATEN!!

OP posts:
WildRosie · 13/04/2021 21:02

I think the sunshine must have brought them out. There's usually a few newts in said pond but no obvious fish so the 'poles should be in with a healthy chance of making toadhood. There were no adult toads about so I guess they've assured the next generation and dispersed.

TheSilveryPussycat · 13/04/2021 22:46

You have a Kingfisher? Envy (and of course I actually do mean envy rather than boak)

Original poster
AlanThePig · 13/04/2021 22:47

@WildRosie

I think the sunshine must have brought them out. There's usually a few newts in said pond but no obvious fish so the 'poles should be in with a healthy chance of making toadhood. There were no adult toads about so I guess they've assured the next generation and dispersed.
Got to say I've not seen many toads at all this year and usually the back garden is full of them (I think I said up thread about my daughters daft daschund licking one and rushing in foaming at the mouth).

I Sat watching the tadpoles last year and was surprised to see newts eating them, not something I'd realised at all. I can't recall if I've told this tale but one of the April ducklings from last year was seen snaffling a small frog down. You know that scene from The Mandalorian where Grogu eats one and it's legs were sticking out? Exactly that. If dh hadn't seen it as well I'd never have believed it. It was a mix of hilarious and horrifying.

The warm weather last week brought the bats out too, they were seen eating from the water over several evenings though I think they have probably gone back in again with the change in weather.

OP posts:
MinnieKat · 14/04/2021 12:38

What a lovely thread!

Your Egwina and her soon to hatch babies makes me think of my Eglantine and her soon to be born babies. She’s a ferret though!

What a beautiful pond and I think it’s incredible how much you’re doing to preserve such a wonderful little ecosystem. I do wonder what else might be lurking that you’ve not seen yet. Maybe grass snakes or slow worms? Do you have plans to try and attract any other species?

NoGoodPunsLeft · 14/04/2021 21:36

I love catching up on this thread ☺️

I live near a canal & im eagerly awaiting ducklings & signets. I haven't seen any duck nests but there are 3 swan's nests among a 2/3 mile stretch. Last year 1 swan had 8 signets so we're all really excited for these to hatch 🦢🥚

Houseofvelour · 15/04/2021 22:05

I had a walk around the pond in a local park today and saw 3 male ducks fighting and chasing a female and I shouted at them to pack it in.
It made me think you must get them fighting constantly in your pond!

Original poster
AlanThePig · 16/04/2021 10:33

@Houseofvelour

I had a walk around the pond in a local park today and saw 3 male ducks fighting and chasing a female and I shouted at them to pack it in. It made me think you must get them fighting constantly in your pond!
Yep that kind of thing is several times a day at this time of year, and sometimes at 3am as well.... it’s not something that occurred to us either. I think we’d pictured sitting out sipping tea and watching ducks Bob along, not necessarily rushing down the drive hand waving, yelling and shooting water pistols at angry ducks...

Anyway, I digress. This popped up on my memories this morning. Seems it was 12 months ago our first clutch arrived. Time flies. First thing I look for when I open the curtains now is little fuzzy yellow blobs.

NOT what I expected to wake up to this morning...
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Soubriquet · 16/04/2021 11:45

Damn you got me excited then! Thought that was the new clutch

MinnieKat · 16/04/2021 13:50

Well my Eglantine popped this morning. How long do you think before Egwina does?