Here’s an update on the ducklings. We now have eighteen babies still (10 born a month ago, 8 born two days ago), and all are doing well. Combine that with two mothers and one dad, and you have 21 bills to feed. I’ll have to dig a bit deeper into my pockets this year, and mealworms ain’t cheap!
By the way, we need a name for the second hen, and feel free to suggest them below.
Meanwhile, enjoy the older brood. The younger one will be featured in a day or so.
Anna hasn’t been around much, what with her and her husband moving to Bloomington in mid-June and her going to various academic meetings. But she feeds everybody when she’s here, and below she is giving the ducks their penultimate meal from her hands. (We’re going to do a Last Supper on June 15—graduation day—and then Anna will depart, not returning until after the brood below flies away.) The ducks and I say, “Farewell, Dr. Mueller, and thanks for all the noms!”
The pond is starting to get pretty, thanks to Spring and the landscaping people. You can see Katie on the small duck ring, watching her young ones bathe in the large ring. The lily pads are starting to spread, too: a good source of food for the ducklings as they attract insects.
The brood on the beach. This was several days ago, and they’re palpably larger and more feathery now:
Miss Katie watching the brood. She has a long and skinny neck:
I posted this the other day but add it here for completeness. My favorite pose for a mallard hen: when they cock their head to look up.
The ducklings are expert dabblers now; here’s a short video of them trawling the bottom for food with their butts in the air. The whistles you hear are the grad students striking to get their union (they beat drums and blew whistles).
This is how the older brood looked a couple of days ago, but their feathers have already grown so much that they’re nearly covering their backs. They’re really starting to look like mom, though still smaller than she.
Butts up!
I don’t often get photos of them dabbling in the shallows. But here’s one, and unless I’m mistaken, the duck’s eye is open underwater, as of course it should be:
Naturally the turtles are still here, large and numerous. They like to use each other as sunning platforms, though I think the trailing turtle gets the best deal:
Here’s a short video of the turtles crawling out of the pond to warm themselves on the shore:
An afternoon snooze on South Duck Island. Katie often stands on one leg:
And then she sleeps:
. . . as do her babies:
All is peaceful in the pond on these warm afternoons, with turtles and ducks sharing the islands:
Finally, we mustn’t forget the outrageously handsome Gregory Peck, who shows up only about once a day to get some grub. He’s been a good father, protecting Katie and not bothering the ducklings. I have no idea where he flies to when he leaves.
So are we confident that Gregory Peck is the father of both broods — like a regular Remarkable Mr. Pennypacker?
How about Penelope. Except mispronounce it Penn-a-lope (like rope) because when I was a kid in the hospital and one of the church ladies came to visit me she brought along a Penelope Pitstop comic book to read to me and she pronounced it Penn-a-lope, which meant that she obviously never watched the Penelope Pitstop cartoon on TV, which was quite a shock for my little brain to handle. Although I politely did not correct my elder.
I’m pretty sure I thought it was pronounced “Pen-a-lope” too, when I read The Odyssey when I was about 9. [I recently re-read it at age 63 and got a lot more out of it.]
Ya know ol’ Homer wrote a prequel, too. Or maybe you read that one when you were only eight? 🙂
“By the way, we need a name for the second hen…”
Cinderella.
Still hoping for Tammy Duckworth, after your Senator.
L
If the good Dr. Mueller doesn’t object, I think the second hen should be called Annie.
Henrietta.
Doris Duck?
“Rose” as in “second hand Rose”.
I suspect Gregory Peck has another brood somewhere else, so he can pass on his spectacular genes.
I think the name Doris Duck would be lovely.
Love watching the ducklings grow.
The turtles look like they’re having group sex.
Well, I failed to impress with my name for the drake–Quacker Jack–but undaunted, I’m going with this for the other female: Henny Youngwoman.
Enjoyed the photos and update. Am waiting to find out what the name for the new hen will be. Looking forward to more info and photos of Batch 2.
I also want to say thank you to Dr. Mueller for her contribution to this great project.
Enjoyed the photos and update. Am waiting to find out what the name for the new hen will be. Looking forward to more info and photos of Batch 2.
I also want to say thank you to Dr. Mueller for her contribution to this great project.
Katie’s bill has spots too, and somewhat of an S on the right side. Just sayin’.
Oy! Don’t get my hopes up!
I know…. I can’t bear not knowing whence has Honey gone!
The obvious name for the new mom is Anna!
How about Daphne. Connections can be made both from modern animation and Greek mythological angles.