The weekend is nigh, but there’s no rest for ducksitters. My 25 pounds of duckling starter food should be arriving today, tomorrow I need to buy more corn and generic Cheerios, I’ve ordered three more bags of mealworms, and Anna is picking up giant bags of organic corn (only the best for our ducks!) at Costco.
Meanwhile, all is well with Anas plathyrhynchos at Botany Pond. Everyone (save Hank) got two good meals today. Here’s Hanks and Frank palling around in the pond this morning, and then doing the Synchronized Double Dabble:
Tell me that this isn’t the cutest thing you’ve seen today!:
Honey is a great mom. I’d adopt her if I could. Note that there are still eight ducklings:
Lined up for the afternoon feeding. They come instantly to my whistle:
And the usual melee:
They’re resting on the tree island now, after having their postprandial preening; and I can go home happy.
Meanwhile, the turtles have totally taken over the Duckling Plank for sunning, making it bend under their weight:
Ah, the “duck whistler” eh?
Whistler’s Eider?
This is so precious! I have tiny baby quail in my yard, along with geese at a nearby lake. Baby animals are just the best–I’m happy to see these duckling are being well cared for. 🙂
Baby quail are so cute!!!! I used to have some in my front yard c. 30 years ago and I loved watching them. (I was living in the country.)
If the turtles are on the plank who’s holding up the world?
Re the turtles on the plank, they happen to be synchronized as to size. Do they always keep their heads up like that when they’re resting? Doesn’t look very restful to me, but I ain’t no turtle.
It is delightful to see those little duckies close up. They’re fluffy charmers. Frank and Hank are mooning you since they’ve been relegated to the nether parts of the pond when you and your crew are around.
This is the kind of quackery I love.
That was my reaction too – they’re mooning Jerry! 😀
“Honey is a great mom. I’d adopt her if I could.” Pretty sure you already have.
Is that bending or refraction?
I think some of it is bending, but I can’t be sure. It looks curvier than it has before.
Organic corn eh. No GMO for these ducks. Other than the label it must be impossible to know for sure, unless you did some DNA testing on the product?
Thanks for the report. What a cute brood.
So it looks like there is a map turtle along with the ubiquitous sliders. I wonder how many turtle species live in Botany Pond.
By the way, Trader Joes has a cheap Cheerios knock-off at $1.99 for a fairly big box, if memory serves. Perhaps you get them for even less at some sort of bulk store.
Generic at the nearby Wal-Mart grocery store. About that price.
Who among us doesn’t love synchronized swimming?
Most people, I would venture.
Sure that little duckling is WAY cute, but the cutest thing I’ve seen today?
well…..
http(ess)://i.imgur.com/MRHJhaP.gifv
(link intentionally borked because I am an idiot and don’t trust my posting abilities – remove the obvious)
Hilarious!
I just looooove the photo of the baby duckie!!!! Yes, it IS the cutest thing I’ve seen today! I love how you are so attentive to their needs…that melts my heart. 🙂
Such floof!
If the turtles have taken the plank, is there a backup safety measure for swift duck escapes?
And, if the turtles have taken the plank, what is next? Tree Island? Iwo Jima?
I think Honey has done an extraordinary job of keeping this little brood safe.
How many people walk by Botany pond without a glance, little realizing the drama that unfolds there?
I wonder if there is a leader of the duckling pack.
Would the overlords of Botany Pond allow a big old log to be installed there? The ducks and other critters would love it! Tamara dragged one to her pond with great results. The other day, I passed a natural pond and there was a gorgeous male Mallard resting on a partly submerged tree trunk.
Great idea for the turtles who nee to sun themselves!
I doubt they’d allow that; they pride themselves more on the beauty of the pond than on its congeniality to wildlife.
When word gets around in Duckworld, about this fabulous place with top of the range duck comestibles, that pond ain’t going to be big enough.
A shame those are not the same!