As I wrote two days ago when posting two pictures, a new hen showed up in Botany Pond on Friday. It was very exciting, as we hadn’t seen any ducks in the pond since Esther and her babies left within a few days of each other over a month ago. The new hen was skittish at first, and afraid when food was tossed to her, but at least she learned that what I tossed was edible.
And of course I whistled as I fed her.
I decided that if the hen showed up yesterday, I’d name her. And, sure enough, she was there. Not only that, but she came swimming right at me for food. While she was still a bit skittish in the morning, eventually she swam slowly over to the edge of the pond by the bench on which I sat, and I fed her a little bit at a time. She was no longer afraid of food falling into the water, and she hung around after breakfast, apparently liking our company.
At lunch (she gets two meals per day) she again came swimming to me on my whistle, and was totally friendly: the tamest wild mallard I’ve known, and apparently able to recogize me. Besides duck pellets, she got mealworms, and loved them. Here she is (the poo behind her is not duck poo!)
One thing I realized is that the presence of even a single duck really enlivens the pond, and people came by to watch and photograph her. I’ve named her Hazel, by the way, taking the cue from her color.
Here she is resting on the bank on Day 1. As you see, she’s well fed. And she’s just molted, too, as her primary flight feathers are gorgeous and new. Two pair of people stopped and asked me lots of questions about the ducks. But the DuckCam appears to be gone. I will make inquiries.
After lunch yesterday, she continued to hang around the edge of the pond near me. Perhaps she’s lonely. I hope she brings a few friends with her. You’re luckless when you’re duckless.
Hazel is a very fastidious duck and spends a lot of time preening her new feathers.
Here’s a photo of the left side of her bill to help identify her if she returns next year. It’s a pretty identifiable pattern.
Finally, here’s a short video of Hazel doing some postprandial preening and swimming yesterday. Look at those gorgeous primary feathers (the big ones on the wing)! She’s also drinking to wash down the dry duck pellets.
She isn’t here this morning, and I fervently hope she comes back. Duckless is luckless.
UPDATE: Reader Nicole sent me this photo from the Duck Inn in Collegeville. PA. It sits by a pond full of mallards, and this machine is nearby. I WANT ONE!
She’s very pretty! I was surprised to read how quickly she came around to hanging out near you. Hope she returns-
Watching wildlife is so relaxing.
She’s very pretty.
Wonderful news – PCC(E) is famous in Duckland!
Good news! 🦆🦆🦆
Her speculum is spectacular!
I don’t know about you, but as a woman, I can’t see the word ‘speculum’ without cringing.
But, fortunately, the speculums found on ducks are far preferable to the ones found in doctors’ offices, and Hazel’s is especially pretty (it’s especially vivid in the video).
Excellent views of the well-preened feathers. Hazel exudes quintessential ducki-ness.
My maternal grandmother’s name was Hazel. She was born in 1900 and died in 1998 about two months before her 98th birthday. I wonder what she would think about a duck with her name. This duck Hazel looks quite elegant; sort of like the elegance of my grandmother.
Is it possible that Hazel is a grown-up member of one of the broods that were raised on Botany Pond in years past? I don’t know if ducks return to their natal localities, and of course it’s impossible to tell if that’s what’s happening in this case, but I was wondering if the possibility had occurred to you.
I wondered the same thing.
Yes, of course that possibility had occurred to me. It could not be one of Esther’s babies, because they haven’t molted yet, but it could be from an earlier year. Unless we banded them, which we can’t and won’t, there’s no way of telling. It didn’t come to my whistle, though, which is very weak evidence that it’s not one of the ones we raised.
What a lovely hen! I hope she returns so that you have more time with her.
Nice! And a duck food dispenser would be a good idea if visitors can’t resist throwing bread and Doritos to the ducks. (U of C students—my wife is an alumna—would of course be too smart for that!) But can ducks eat too much duck food? Imagine a pond populated by fat, somnambulant ducks that sink. That would suck.
Yes, but the duck food dispenser would only work if the food was FREE. Otherwise, people who don’t have a quarter handy – (and, as an aside, who even uses quarters these days?) – will still be tempted to feed the wildlife with whatever people food they have in their pocket instead.
The nature center near me put a couple of those machines next to their pond, but made the food free, to ensure that people would have less incentive to feed the animals junk food. And even though the food is free, the machines are useful because they not only keep the food dry, they limit waste and mess and overfeeding because they only dispense a small handful of kibble a time.
“You’re luckless when you’re duckless…”
Start of a song to be sung by a Dean Martin impersonator.
Hazel is lovely.
Delightful