I can’t believe it! New ducklings on July 15, and likely to be the hottest day of the year.
I’ve been watching the pond regularly, but haven’t seen a hen for at least ten days. I believe it was Margot, named after Margot Fonteyn the ballerina, for the hen had a long, graceful neck. Her partner, the drake Rudolf (Nureyev, of course) hasn’t shown. This morning I looked on the pondcam and, to my surprise, I saw a hen followed by a bunch of blobs. Ducklings! I ran down to the pond and, sure enough, there was a new brood.
You can see them below in a picture taken at high zoom, so I can’t seem them well enough to know if it’s really Margot, nor do I know how many there are–I think9 or 10.
This is by far the latest brood we’ve had: more often they show up the first two weeks of May. But Margot hested before and lost her brood to harassing drakes that drove everyone away. Now that we have no drakes, there’s a good chance that this brood will survive to fledging (if they’ll eat), which should be mid-September. That is not too late to fly, and the weather will be good.
Now you tell me: how many ducklings?
Hooray! May they prosper and let you feed them!
Maybe 10?
Oh what fun we’re about to have, watching these wee ducklings grow until they fledge! Fingers crossed for a lovely outcome, and thank you, Jerry, for all the joy this morning.
I count eight.
And just as you think that all is lost, babies!
Congratulations!
I count nine.
Mazel tov!!
Can’t determine how many ducklings (well, OK, 8?), but it was a real treat to see this post. Good photos!
Brilliant news!
Wonderful news, am looking forward to watching this little gang grow up under your care.
Wonderful news after we all gave up hope. I sometimes wish I believed in prayer, but anyway, sure don’t want any thing to go wrong at the pond this time. I hate to see you so overwork and worried. You are a super duck step-dad. 🐥🐥🐥🐥🐥🐥🐥🐥🐥
Exciting news!
Congratulations! I think there are 9.
A summer event to celebrate, baby ducks and no drakes. New life in the pond. Thank you for sharing and making this a good day to be alive.
wonderful! The ducks have brought me low-key joy from afar for many years.
Count them? Lets see…. As I have entirely too much pure math training, I can do this….
One. Two. . . . . Many!
But not too many
Being able to count is not a requirement for a pure-math mathematician. 🙂
Nine! I see nine! This means Argentina, having a nine-letter name, will win. Poor England. They will have no idea why they lost. And no one will tell them.
I count 10. Sorry, Argentina. I mean Argentina still has a 50% chance of advancing to the final, in my estimation. (I got burned yesterday – I expected France to win the world cup.)
Congrats Jerry. Couldn’t have happened to a nicer fellow!
That was close! I expected France and England to win their games: https://whyevolutionistrue.com/2026/07/13/monday-hili-dialogue-577/#comment-2193156
But I could not bring myself to ignore Margot’s hint.
Excellent news! Not sure how many ducklings in the photos.
How many ducklings are in the photo?
ALL the ducklings are in the photo!
Congratulations are in order.
I think there are 9 ducklings. Totes adorbs!
Wow, that’s good news.
I could also identify 9 ducklings in each photo.
10 ducklings by me.
Nine! Nine! Holidays have commemorated fewer captives freed.
Enjoy!
This is great news!
Congratulations! These old eyes see nine.
Wonderful news! I’m so glad the drakes have gone.
Ducklings in July! Absolutely amazing! May they live long and prosper.
In 2019 we had the third brood show up in, my photos show babies the first week of July, so not quite as late as this but similar timing.
This is wonderful and unexpected. I’m very happy for you and for the mother.
Amazing these birds do so well with rival males destroying families and all the ducklings dying.
They’ll do well IF they eat? They have pond privilege— they’ve landed in the best-rated Duck Diner in the whole city!