April07

Sunday, 1st

It's a week now since we lost Clarence. We still miss him, but the remaining 7 by the duck pond appear to have adjusted quite well. You would have thought that Circle might have joined there again making 8 in each hut as she used to spend many a night down there before - but no, it's all got very territorial.

We've continued driving the 9 into the enclosure every morning and back to their home about 6 at night to give them an undisturbed 1½ hour before bedtime. During the day we've kept the electrified fence switched on in case foxes or other vermin try again. The two groups don't really mix now, the 9 from the top keeping largely to an area nearest their home ground and not going into the pond if Captain and his 6 are in there. The three remaining boys still make raids on the "rival" group with accompanying shrieks from the girls, but no damage has been done.

Here, above, Captain is having a rest with his 5 white ducks while fawn Anabelle is off on her own [bottom right] as usual. To be fair, I was doing some weeding and Anabelle comes closest to me then for the worms. Primmie from the other troupe is nearly as quick for the worms, and she keeps coming back [below left] in spite of getting chased away by the 'residents':

While the 6 'locals' were resting the 9 from the top were taking advantage of the pond - above right - and you might see quite a few of the gnawed bare patches on the branches at the back. There are plenty more like that on the far side of the electric fence, as well. We're still trying to find out who did all that chewing and who was involved in the fight at the back there.

Now we're in April [heavens, we're racing through the year] I've been totting up the March egg production, and I think it's pretty spectacular. The 6 ducks at the duck pond layed 143, but they were outdone by the 7 garage girls with 152. That makes 295 eggs for March, 9½ p/day on average! I've been giving them away by the dozen.

Eleanor is coming on Tuesday 3rd, and she'll be thrilled to gather all those eggs, especially as the duck pond lot lay theirs very neatly inside the box still.

Oh, I nearly forgot. Two days ago I was thrilled to pieces to see a moorhen come to the birch with the bird food outside the conservatory. That was the very first one since the end of August 2005! And yesterday, from the distance of the house, I could see one swimming in the duck pond and later hiding out among the irises in the bog garden next to it. I'd be ever so pleased if they nested again where I can watch them - as long as they build safe enough from raiders.

Monday, 2nd April 2007

Just another word and picture on the eggs. One of my large plastic cake containers had broken, and I suddenly thought that the "garage girls" - having destroyed their cardboard box - might lay in there. They did, four of them [plus 2 still on the far side]:
When I put the fresh bedding in yesterday I piled it right up against the round container and inside it as well, but they've trampled it down now to show the rim.

5 eggs from the others this morning, all neatly buried in the wood shavings.

When 'ruminating' on the current situation I was thinking that it's got quite a few advantages. They've been safe within their electrified enclosure for a week giving us some peace of mind, and the frogs have had another chance! Before the ducks were shut away there was just one patch of spawn in the top/fish pond. Now, although the water is somewhat green and scummy in spite of the added oxygenators there are loads more patches of frog spawn in the actual frog pond. I've put circles around the areas in this photo in case it's hard to see:

(I shall have to do something about those loose tiles around the fish pond!)

The main disadvantage for me is that I can't see them near the house any more, or trooping past the windows to the front garden and mossy lawn.

Saturday, 14th April 2007

I can hardly believe I haven't put in any notes since the 2nd, I apologize if you've been worried! Easter invened - and I didn't even wish you a happy one, sorry. Hope yours was great as we all certainly enjoyed ours. Annie and the girls came and stayed nearly a week, and Eleanor did her usual trick of helping with the ducks (Charlotte, too, when Eleanor let her!), especially the collecting of eggs. Here she is with the first day's haul in a very pretty egg stand they brought as a present:



Both girls (and friend Pat) also helped with the Easter flower arrangements. The Japanesy looking insert one was El's own work!

Annie took some lovely photos of the ducks, I'll include 2 or 3:




You're getting a bonanza of pictures today - making up for lost time! Before the Easter break I did quite a bit of gardening within the duck enclosure, and I became aware that there are strict Apartheid rules in force there. The dividing line appears to be this laurel hedge, with the group of 9 having to stick to the right side of this picture and the duck pond residents to the left. Any incursions are usually punished - in this little photo below Anabelle is just chasing Primmie (hidden by the laurel in front) out.

These two "girls" come closest to me when I'm digging and weeding, and Anabelle in particular is super fast at detecting worms, even the tiniest pink tip, and takes them right off my fork. A few others of either group come looking for worms too sometimes, those from the top very gingerly as they know they're "out of bounds". The boys don't bother all that much - too busy raping and pillaging - but they do accept the odd morsel in passing.

I'll finish today with a couple of pictures of the top group having a bit of a rummage around in the Spring garden before I shut them into their home ground.

Wednesday, 25th April 2007 Caroline Crocker's birthday, AND she's just given birth to Edward James, CONGRATULATIONS!

For all those who were wondering, I've had a wonderful time at the school reunion in Germany, but it's great to be back home as well with John and the ducks. I heard John had terrible trouble putting them in on Friday night ..... did they miss their "mum"? John must have been sick as a parrot when they went in for me as good as gold on Monday night.

The 'common' relations have been around again since Saturday, John tells me. I first saw them on the pond Monday morning when I went to release our seven. They didn't fly off, but just waddled out of sight and then settled near the fence
where they stayed most of the time except when raiding
the food trays

or having a splash in the pond. I've seen Captain having a go at them several times, but as neither of them fights back
Captain thinks he's done his duty and settles down to feed again.

The mallards seemed to be getting ever tamer, and it looked as if they'd decided this was a good home for them, secure, with food, water and company.

Then, this afternoon, something happened. John was mowing inside the fenced enclosure and saw that Captain actually managed to catch the female and mount her. When she got away from him she flew off in a panic - but her drake didn't follow her! He just stopped with the seven on the duck pond, and I was beginning to wonder if he would make Captain's second-in-command now that Clarence is gone.

But no, when I went down to take photographs there was a commotion in the field next door with a dog barking and bullocks chasing. So he took off and I saw him disappear over the A512 ............... Coleorton Pool is just across there, and maybe he went in search of his mate after all. I wonder if they'll be back tomorrow?

Thursday, 26th April 2007

'Our' pair of mallards were back this morning, on and by the duck pond around 7 I saw them, and as I spent most of the day within the fenced area I could see that they were there all day keeping a low profile in and next to the bog garden. They took a swim now and again, went to the food troughs, and kept well out of trouble when the chases were going on.

When I cleaned out the duck hut they moved away a bit and settled in the middle of the path, shortly joined by Captain and his girls. Then the other mob came up for a drink and this happened: