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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
fizzyp0p · 21/10/2020 18:51

Great update and nice to see Dad Grin

FawnDrench · 21/10/2020 19:47

This is just wonderful - a thoroughly uplifting thread - thank you so much @AlanThePig

Original poster
AlanThePig · 22/10/2020 11:44

Ten little ducklings sunbathing on duck island ❤️

NOT what I expected to wake up to this morning...
OP posts:
SoupDragon · 22/10/2020 11:50

I don't think I have ever used this emoji before but ... 😍

Asterion · 22/10/2020 11:53

She obviously knows she's on to a good thing, and that she should crack on with having more ducklings Grin

Sunnydaysstillhere · 22/10/2020 11:59

No wonder she had an extra batch!!. Def the Shangri-la for ducks!!

Original poster
AlanThePig · 22/10/2020 12:01

@Asterion

She obviously knows she's on to a good thing, and that she should crack on with having more ducklings Grin
When the last lot fledged there was a post on our local FB of one of them in the yard........of the local butchers. Fortunately butcher was quite taken with it and fed and watered it until it went on its way again.

Over the course of a week there were several more posts along the lines of 'Has anyone lost a duck?' as they found their way in the world and got a bit lost. I had to say to so many people 'it's ok, they are wild and young, they will figure it out don't worry' and they did. I couldn't say if they have been back here, nothing distinguishing to note, although most of the last clutch were males.

I can now see my life will be a cycle of pandering to ducks and explaining to locals why they have ducks in their gardens 😂

OP posts:
ForTheLoveOfFaff · 22/10/2020 12:01

OP this is just lovely, what a heart-warming thread to distract from all that's going on in the world right now Smile

Inastatus · 22/10/2020 12:03

Oh you lucky lucky thing! Please post regular updates and photos.

fizzyp0p · 22/10/2020 12:06

Another fabulous photo. Thanks for making us all smile Smile

Original poster
AlanThePig · 22/10/2020 12:06

@ForTheLoveOfFaff

OP this is just lovely, what a heart-warming thread to distract from all that's going on in the world right now Smile
I think they really did help us over lock down. As I said they appeared on the very first day. Egwina had tried and failed to hatch eggs the year before so we weren't really sure what was going to happen this time.

Sitting out in the nice weather watching them grow was wonderful and it did make the whole thing a lot easier mentally for both DH and I.

This time I'm nervous, mostly because it's the wrong time. Fortunately again the weather is warm here and I've been sat out in just a T Shirt in the sun. I'm guilty of forgetting these are wild animals sometimes. I'm hopeful she's just on the right side of things.

OP posts:
Stepawayfromtheminirolls · 22/10/2020 12:09

This is such a lovely, happy thread - thank you!

sm40 · 22/10/2020 12:14

I'm intrigued by the neighbours using your pond in their photos story!!???
Lovely ducks though. I've just got hooligan squirrels today ruining the bird feeder!!

Original poster
AlanThePig · 22/10/2020 12:23

@sm40

I'm intrigued by the neighbours using your pond in their photos story!!??? Lovely ducks though. I've just got hooligan squirrels today ruining the bird feeder!!
When we were buying this place the house next door went up for sale. They are side on to us (you can see it on one of the pics above) and have no view over the pond, but their listing included the words "pond in garden" and a photo of our pond. Their EA was most unimpressed when asked to remove it. It was especially misleading as the house did have a pond, of about 8ft in their own garden.

Following that I saw a guy taking photos half way up my drive. I couldn't get to him at the time and by the time I got to the gate he'd vanished. At the time I theorised it was the house across the road, which I'd been told was coming onto the market. Again this house has no view of the pond.

I watched Right move for ages and it didn't appear, then a neighbour tipped me off to check Air BnB. There was my house, my garden and one of the selling points of the place was the 'natural pond'. Explained why I'd had people hanging over my front fence anyway.
I contacted them and to their credit they did remove the photos.

I feel I've gotten off lightly, the last owner woke up one morning to a man fishing 😂

OP posts:
Cocolapew · 22/10/2020 12:24

Im so jealous Envy

Ducksurprise · 22/10/2020 12:49

This is not a pond. Most definitely a lake.

Is it man made?

CausingChaos2 · 22/10/2020 12:49

Ah they’ve made it in to your pontoon Smile

They’re gorgeous.

CausingChaos2 · 22/10/2020 12:49

*on

forrestgreen · 22/10/2020 12:56

I'm stuck in hospital so this is lovely to see. We used to have ducks who set up home on a neighbours garage roof. He eventually put a paddling pool up there for them!

HerculePoirotsGreyCells · 22/10/2020 12:58

Gorgeous duck family

wheresmymojo · 22/10/2020 13:02

Definitely following this thread, the ducklings are lovely!

Original poster
AlanThePig · 22/10/2020 13:14

@Ducksurprise

This is not a pond. Most definitely a lake.

Is it man made?

Aww feel better soon @forrestgreen Flowers

In total it’s about 120ft at its widest and reasonably round. Took a boat out over summer and found it to be 15 to 20ft deep in parts. It’s natural, spring fed and we can find it on maps back to the early 1800s.

The street was built around it when the farmland it was on was sold. Initially the pond was destined to be communal but the local wildlife trust reasoned it would be neglected so it was put in within our house.

It raises eyebrows, not in the least when people get to the end of a very early 2000s street and suddenly come face to face with it. It’s a bit unexpected 😂

OP posts:
Soubriquet · 22/10/2020 13:23

People actually worried about ducks in their garden?

That’s strange.

Ducks are everywhere here but the town is built on a river so I guess it makes sense

Ducksurprise · 22/10/2020 13:33

It's amazing. I remember your CF post and seeing pictures but not being able to imagine it. Love the photo with your neighbours house as can now really see what you mean. PS as it now seems weird, but I was Ducksurprise before this thread Grin

Original poster
AlanThePig · 22/10/2020 13:38

@Soubriquet

People actually worried about ducks in their garden?

That’s strange.

Ducks are everywhere here but the town is built on a river so I guess it makes sense

I think because we're quite urban it's not something they can imagine. I really had to convince one lady that the duck would fly and roost somewhere safely overnight as she was adamant it would just sit in the garden and be eaten.
Another had one trapped and was feeding it cornflakes, convinced it was a lost pet.

It's strange because as urban as we are this little corner is near to fields so we see badgers, foxes and hedgehogs as well as the more unusual things like herons and a kingfisher. People on the local estates cant imagine such things.

And welcome @Ducksurprise I really should have chosen a less porcine name myself 😂

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