All is still well at Botany Pond, though it’s hot today (about 35°C), and I fed everyone early so they could nap during the heat of the day. When I was approaching the pond this morning, a rather large mammal was walking on the nearby sidewalk. I thought, “Holy jeez: that’s a big cat!” before realizing it was a honking huge raccoon. I didn’t get a picture but I’m a bit worried it could snack on a duckling. I drove it away with a few shouts.
The pond is looking well, thanks to Spring and the landscaping crew. This is the small and shallow part of the pond, where I often feed the ducklings while sitting on the platform in the foreground. It’s also shallow enough for them to dabble and reach the bottom (see photos below):
The ducklings are growing, and are getting closer in size to Honey. They’re also shaped like adult ducks instead of round bathtub rubber ducks:
They’re growing their feathers in too, starting from the neck backward and the butt forward. There’s only a bit of yellow down left now; they’re becoming brown ducks:
But they’re still cute:
Here’s mom, her lovely appearance marred by a grain of corn that landed on her. It’s like having spinach in your teeth.
Yesterday the ducklings started to dabble big time, going upside down in the shallow end of the pond where they can reach the bottom for food. I’m not sure whether they learned any of this from Honey or whether it’s instinctive (I suspect mostly the latter), but she observes their dabbling intently:
Everybody upside down!
“It’s like having spinach in your teeth.” Or cassoulet on your shirt. 😉 By the way, I am making something cassoulet-adjacent for dinner tonight.
Since you favor ducklings over honking huge raccoons, I wonder if you’ve ever devoted a post to species favoritism in humans.
The pond is so lovely and so are the ducklets(?)… they are looking very big!
Sure hope that raccoon doesn’t return; he’d decimate the ducks, and might well have a gang to join in.
I never see ducks in that pose without thinking of the Ogden Nash poem, Ducks, which ends, “When it dines or sups, It bottoms ups.”
If there was a prize for fastest-growing mallard ducklings in the country, these ought to win the 2018 award.
Any idea of where those turtles in the pond overwinter, Dr. CC?
I’m told they bury themselves in the mud at the bottom of the pond. They’re in there somewhere, that’s all I know.
Thanks – didn’t realize that the pond is deep enough.
Great to have duckings every morning. I see them in the email but rarely have time to read much till evening.
I imagine Honey watches her young ones for signs that “They’re Ready”. When she sees that the next phase in her motherhood – letting go- begins.
35c???
arrrrggghhhh!
I’d be dead!
Wait, did they just moon us?
Just like the German children’s song:
Alle meine Entchen
|: Schwimmen auf dem See 😐
Köpfchen in das Wasser
Schwänzchen in die Höh.
All my little ducks
|: Are swimming on the lake 😐
Little head in the water
Little tail up high.
What a curious developmental pattern on the feathers. Love to know what does *that*.