There was a big duckling rescue yesterday evening at the Lab School, in which six newly-hatched babies who fell through a grate got saved, but more about that later. (They’re going to be put in a pond other than Botany Pond).
Today I’m omitting the babies from the newest brood (yep, there are still eight of the young ‘uns) to show you how much the teenagers have grown. Earlier this week only half of their backs were feathered; now almost their entire bodies are. They’re eating their way through pounds of duck food and, at least in size, are hard to tell from Katie. Have a gander (or rather, a hen and some ducklings):
Postprandial bath:
Katie overlooking her brood. Yes, there are ten!
Here’s the full gamut of bathing behaviors, including dabbling, preening, and the stretching of young wings (0:17). Note that nearly their entire bodies are feathered now, with just a bit of down in front of their tails.
Lots of activity:
Look! I have wings!
But Mom’s wings are bigger:
That duck food appears to include growth hormones! It seems like this brood is growing much faster than last year’s (no reflection on Honey’s abilities as a mother, of course). I hope you won’t be too bereft if they fly away soon. Of course, you have brood #2 waiting to be fed. You’re a fabulous duck uncle (is that like a Dutch uncle?). Enjoy them while they are still yours, and thank you for your faithful reporting of their progress. I love the ducks!
Hard to believe how BIG those ducklings have gotten in what seems like such a short time!
They are a month and two days old, and yes, it seems that they’re growing a lot faster than last year’s ducks. I think I may be feeding them a bit more, but they also seem more ravenous.
This T R U T H can, by way o’Botany Pond,
be stated that … … the time and attention and dosh
.required. to raise to adulthood One’s Little
Ones is The Reason that: newly made ( and
often, repeatedly newly made ) mamas or
daddies have almost no time and attention and dosh
for … … A Thing Else.
Blue
Do you think the ducks you’ve adopted have spread the word to other ducks to come to the pond on the commons? Is it time to expand the pond perhaps, or continue to situate new broods in even more nearby ponds? Can you forsee all the ponds near you being populated with ducks? Now, almost everywhere I go, I look for ducks. And, guess what? I see them!
Perhaps it’s time to open up an feeding station on the Chicago Canal. Can franchising be far off?
I have a feeling that this is one of Honey’s progeny. Same for the other duck mothers in the area too. Surely they remember there was this special duck whisperer who made sure all the babies were fed. You’ll happily be over-run with ducks!