Well, we have eight ducklings still left, and they all look lively. I fed them this morning and all of them (ducklings first!) came to my whistle. I feed them in a special spot, while running back and forth to feed landlubbers Sir Francis and Henry, who would drive away mom and babies if I didn’t feed them in separate places. Here are four photos from yesterday’s feeding.
Now there are eight plus Honey:
Anna feeding them crushed mealworms. Note the duck ramp at upper right:
The ducklings have tentatively learned that the ramp is a place to rest, but are having trouble negotiating it all the way out of the pond. I’ve asked Physical Plant for a wider ramp, and they’ve tentatively agreed (I’m sure I’m a pain in the tuchas to them).
A big honking turtle discovered yesterday that the ramp was a good place to sun itself, so I had to chase him off (they have plenty of places to do that).
Good progress!
Life goes on….
Is the white piece PVC?
I don’t know.
The ducklings look really cute on their ramp. Is the wood perhaps a bit slippery? Maybe some of those grippy strips or shapes you can put in bathtubs would help.
Yes, my thought also. Smooth wood gets a bit slimy when in water. Something with texture would help. Something like those concrete rain downspout/gutter blocks, if they were longer would help.
Somewhere amongst this readership, there must be some pond owner/managers who know of a practical solution which would also be decorative, so the University would not object.
Bathtub strips are not designed to be outdoors.
Sunlight – heat and UV – is clearly a factor here – mechanical – and not chemical adhesive – fastening would be required, and whatever fasteners are used and their platings have to be life-friendly.
Stainless has nickel.
… Duck feet must be good at getting around – I propose cutting grooves and patterns in that piece of cedar, for instance.
There are strips designed for porch steps that might be OK to use here.
Best solution is just to rough it up a bit. A few gentle passes with a cross cut saw would do it.
That’s what I mean
Could even use a file, or hack saw.
Duck feet have some sort of toe nail don’t they?
Would the turtle eat ducklings?
Did you keep the duckling skull? I collect skulls…
No, I buried the duckling. So far I’ve never seen a turtle eat a duckling. The turtles’ mouths are too small, I think.
“Hey, Phil and Marge. It’s duck-man again on line one. Now he wants a wider ramp.”
Yesterday was World Turtle Day. He was having a celebration 😉
It’s actually today.
Anna had best watch her step – being nibbled to death by ducklings is a horrific way to go.
Looks like Frank (or one of his friends) is in the new cover picture on UofC’s Facebook page.
PCC(e)’s office is to the right of the pic.
https://scontent-ort2-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/33328841_10160619868560650_5362328864477413376_n.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=c704768ba4719bed05d568ca6c0713e2&oe=5B864426
I’m impressed by your clout. To get a duck-ramp (a duck-ramp!!) in a bureaucracy within a few days is no mean feat. I do get these kind things done (if not doing it myself), but rarely in less than a year! Kudos!
While I am certain that PCC(e) has some clout, the Botany Pond is one of the treasures of the UofC campus. The entire campus is spectacular and immaculately maintained. The Main Quad is the star and Hull Court and the Botany Pond are the jewels of the Main Quad. If something needs attention, it gets immediate attention.
And Facilities Service does a great job. Although I think that small part of the Main Quad falls under the auspices of the Physical Plant Department of University of Chicago Medicine – which is a separate corporation from the rest of the University. I think this division is common at most research universities. I assume there is some coordination between Facilities Services and Physical Plant – even though they use different names. Here are their web pages if you want to try to figure out the difference:
https://facilities.uchicago.edu/
https://ucmfacilities.uchicago.edu/operations/physical_plant_department/
Here is a talk from one of Jerry’s colleagues, Michael LaBarbera, on the Botany Pond –
https://news.uchicago.edu/multimedia/biodiversity-botany-pond
Rather than post links about the pond, just google – botany pond university of chicago – and pick articles and picture that interest you.
Yes, I’m grateful for the help I’ve gotten, and for the feedback about what is and what is not possible. The ducks, of course, are the jewel of Botany Pond :-). You should see how many people were ooh-ing and aah-ing over the ducklings today.
They’re going to raise the water level so that the tree islands, which now have extra dirt and vegetation on them, will be easily accessible to the ducklings, and they might even be able to jump over the pond’s lip, which they can’t do now.
If you’re in Hyde Park, come see this lovely spot! But don’t give bread to the ducks!
I will be visiting them on Friday, June 1, around 4 to 5pm.
Slowly but surely, Botany pond is becoming a duck and duckling haven thanks to the assiduous efforts of PCC(E). Love it!
Awwwwww!
Don’t forget the Disney Duck