I hadn’t seen Trixie or Norton for three days, and was beginning to get worried. But they showed up at today’s afternoon feeding—at least I think it was Trixie and Norton. Norton appeared to have a scar or slight wound on his chest (maybe it’s just the feather pattern), and now Trixie looks as if she’s missing toes on both feet. I am deeply confused. You tell me: is this light spot the result of some inter-duck fracas?

Trixie is lovely, as usual (if it’s her), but look at the feet. Are there now two toes missing? She also didn’t eat much of her corn, though she chowed down on mealworms. She’s still a bit skittish, and to my eye looks a bit plumper. Is that food or eggs?

How many toes? I’m pretty sure this is Trixie because both ducks came immediately when I whistled.

But here’s the big news. Unbeknownst to me, a huge behemoth was lurking in the pond! And when he saw the food, out he climbed to help himself. Needless to say, Trixie and Norton waddled away. Meet 88K!

Now I don’t know if 88K is male or female, but it’s big and it HONKS LOUDLY. It also displaced my ducks, but I managed to herd them into the pond for a healthy helping of mealworms. I like Canada geese, but I want this one to go away, and will avoid feeding it.  I guess I should report its neck collar to someone, and I hope a reader can tell me where.

Note that its eyes are set lower relative to the bill than are the ducks’ eyes. And that collar looks like it’s constricting the neck.

Oy, am I confused! It’s no picnic caring for waterfowl, I tell you. I don’t know what to do about 88K, either.

In the meantime, my squirrels are getting fed several times a day, and they like to have a drink after they eat their seeds and peanuts:

I haven’t neglected my squirrels, who get sunflower seeds, peanuts, and fresh water at least twice a day. Sometimes in the morning, when I haven’t yet fed them, they tap or bang on my office window to remind me that they’re hungry (they’re fed next door, in the lab). I’ll hear a banging or scratching, and this is what I see:

When I leave the window open while changing the water, they often come into the lab (one poked its head in my office the other day, looking for noms). I’ll shoo them outside and make sure they have a big pile of food.  If I leave the window open for a while, they’re perfectly capable of finding my bag of peanuts, gnawing it open, and making off with a pound or two. Yes, they’ve done that.

I have the Walking Duck Blues, as I haven’t seen my lovely pair of canards in three days.  Still, twice a day I walk to the pond with mealworms and corn, hoping they’ll be there. The weather is cold, and they’re doing construction on the sidewalk nearby, so they may have been spooked.

When I whistled for them this morning, I got a response, but a chitter, not a quack. Yes, one of my squirrels (I feed them, too), was right above my head, hoping for a handout (they get peanuts and black oil sunflower seeds).

Meet Illinois Fats. As you see, he’s in good nick:

It’s been pretty cold in much of America’s north and east, which gives us even more reason to feed the wildlife. Since my mallard hen has abandoned me—at least for the winter—I am left with a scurry of squirrels (yes, that’s the correct term for a group of these rodents). Although I didn’t feed my squirrels when I was in India, I’m now back giving them daily peanuts, and am pleased to see that they’re fat and fluffy. Here’s one, covered with snow, getting a treat yesterday. (There’s a water dish, too, but it freezes quickly, even when the water is warm.)

Nosing about:

Being offered a nut:

Jackpot!