Cuthbert is just his temporary name. He’s already pecked at my lips with his (her) bill. Of course I don’t know the sex. 
A kiss!
Hanging out with Cuthbert
May 6, 2020 • 5:46 pm
Why Evolution is True is a blog written by Jerry Coyne, centered on evolution and biology but also dealing with diverse topics like politics, culture, and cats.
Careful, or you’ll have a house-duck…
And it’ll imprint on you and regard you as its mother. It’s already nesting on your chest. But it’s adorable.
If it’s female, Cuthberta ain’t half-bad.
Or Cutbertha?
That duckling is going to follow Jerry everywhere. I adopted one of those when I was a teenager. A little yellow one. It even went in the car with my siblings and me to our river outings.
Reminds me of Gary Larsen’s “When Imprinting Studies go awry” cartoon:
https://tinyurl.com/ycucxxwa
It looks adorable.
How about Pip if it’s a boy? – I have great expecktations…
And Eggstella if it’s a girl (equally great eggspecktations, of course)!
Who’s imprinting on whom?
Exactly! 🙂
Wow. You never cease to amaze me, PCC. Enjoy being mom for a day.
That is an amazingly cute being. I love the tiny bill.
Imprinting on you?
Cute
You’re hanging out with a saint. Let us all pray to Saint Cuthbert tonight.
Cuthbert (c. 634 – 20 March 687) was an Anglo-Saxon saint of the early Northumbrian church in the Celtic tradition. He was a monk, bishop and hermit, associated with the monasteries of Melrose and Lindisfarne in what might loosely be termed the Kingdom of Northumbria, in North East England[b] and the South East of Scotland. After his death he became the most important medieval saint of Northern England, with a cult centred on his tomb at Durham Cathedral. Cuthbert is regarded as the patron saint of Northumbria. His feast days are 20 March (Catholic Church, Church of England, Eastern Orthodox Church[5]), also 31 August (Episcopal Church) and 4 September (Church in Wales).
After Cuthbert’s death, numerous miracles were attributed to his intercession and to intercessory prayer near his remains. In particular, Alfred the Great, King of Wessex, was inspired and encouraged in his struggle against the Danes by a vision or dream he had of Cuthbert. Thereafter the royal house of Wessex, who became the kings of England, made a point of devotion to Cuthbert, which also gave a useful political message, as they came from opposite ends of the united English kingdom. Cuthbert was “a figure of reconciliation and a rallying point for the reformed identity of Northumbria and England” after the absorption of the Danish populations into Anglo-Saxon society, as Michelle Brown puts it
good luck getting any sleep tonight
He’s going back in his box at bedtime.
It might be important to keep it warm….
I’ll drink to that.
You know, of course, that s/he has to go back to Honey tomorrow? Right?
YES, of course. I am determined to reunite this duck with its family. I am just enjoying it as a one-day gift from the Universe. Let’s hope that Honey makes it to the pond.
She will. She’s a great mom.
It was never determined you’d be a pop. But if it were, you’d be a fine one.
I love these photos. Thank you PCC (E).
Yay! I just saw Cuthbert released and joining his family.
Boo! I just saw Honey and Dorothy having a ferocious fight.
Oops, Cuthbert reunion is not going smoothly.
Oops. Cuthbert reunion is not complete.
Louise penny writes books about life in Canada (fiction) and one of her characters is an irasible female poet who has a pet duck that goes every place Ruth the poet goes.
Louise penny writes books about life in Canada (fiction) and one of her characters is an irasible female poet who has a pet duck that goes every place Ruth the poet goes.
I’m becoming a botany pond junkie. I need a duck report fix.
It looks like one hen made off with more than her own chicks. As best I can tell, one hen has an escort of 13, and the other an escort of five.
I can only imagine how stressful it’s been, professor.
What’s happening with Cuthbert? Is he/she following Jerry around? Sounds chaotic there on the pond.
We’ll have to wait for PCCE to fill us in on Cuthbert I think.
Although the fact that Jerry isn’t carrying a box around seems to be a good sign.
They must be hanging out mostly in the channel. Over an hour ago, I saw just one mom with the smaller flotilla, and the 3 drakes.
Oh, yeah, come to think if it, I did see the huge flotilla earlier. When they suddenly disappeared I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me.
These are the cutest photos ever!