February05

Tuesday, 8th

Hurrah! First egg this year!

It must have been one of the new ducks, as it was definitely a "learner's egg". The size that Gertie and Pearl produced when they first started. Well, how exciting. Lets hope that Gertie will start laying again now, it's about time.

As today is the 8th anniversary of when John and I first met it has made it a memorable day in more than one way.

Wednesday, 9th

Another learner egg this morning, in the same position in the hut, right against the water bucket. Great, hope the egg-laying continues.

Managed to get out into the garden for a couple of hours this afternoon. The ducks have nibbled the turves all around the edge of the pond, exposing up to 10 inches of the black liner. It looks very ugly. When you think how many times I've wheeled barrow load after barrow load of turves to line the rim!

For some time now I'd wanted to try and hide the bare edge. So I took out lots of marginal plants and rocks and reeds from around the frog pond and put it in several places against the edge of the duck pond. It didn't go very well. As soon as I had put something down the ducks were into it and nibbled it away. I bet there won't be much left in the morning!

One little incident while John and I were trying to hoik out the thick mat of reeds from the frog pond. When John whacked the garden rake into the thick mat to get a better purchase there was a scream. We stopped at once, looked carefully, and a frog jumped into the water. And then there were a couple more mating! So we quickly covered them up again and left them in peace.

PS. I love this photo of Rudolpho checking on the overheads!

Thursday, 10th

Nasty, rainy day today. But I was pleased that a third egg had been laid. In the general rush when I lifted the door it was kicked first on to the ramp and then onto the stony ground - good job that runner duck eggs have a tough shell!

Thursday, 17th

On Valentine's Day (Monday) it was one whole year since we fetched our first four runner ducks. We said Happy Anniversary to the remaining three! Funny, but it seems longer, as if they'd always been around.

The pond was frozen over again yesterday morning, for the first time since January 22nd. John went and broke the ice, none of the ducks went in, though. Our two new ones seem to have adopted the habits of the three older ones. The 5 investigated all around, went down the steps by the oak to see if the big puddle in the ditch was frozen, too. It obviously was, because they came straight back. So they just dobbed down under the birch near the bog garden and waited for the thaw (late morning).

We have had one egg every morning apart from the 11th. The one yesterday got kicked out and actually cracked on the frozen ground. They are still small in comparison with the ones we had last year, and they are white (two or three of them with darker spots on) whereas Pearl and Gertie's had a pale bluish green hue. I wonder if Gertie will ever start laying again - or whether she has been in various spots in the hedge and we just haven't seen her eggs.

The waterhens have made an appearance again. John first saw one in the orchard on 6th February, and we've had several sightings since then. I used to wonder where they went during the winter months, but when we went walking round the big pond in the park in Bosworth on 8. 2. we saw dozens and dozens of them - so that's where ......

This morning the big white and black tomcat that keeps hanging around chased one out from under the thicket near the stile, and I've seen the ducks chase one out of their pond once or twice. It won't be so easy for them to find nesting places in the frog pond now, as we've removed all the big reeds apart from a row alongside the middle section of the triple pond. Did I tell you we found lots more frogs hiding out in the thick reed mat? The two mating ones were still in the same place, still together, two days later!

Monday, 21st

Rudo got one of the frogs today, he's just gobbling it up on the grass in this photo:

This afternoon was the second time only I've seen the five in the frog pond. Lovely and sunny it looks, on the right, but just look at the garden (with the ducks back in their pond) half an hour later!:

Sunday, 27th (Em's birthday)

Saw a waterhen swimming in the frog pond late this afternoon - about 5 o' clock. Then I saw another coming towards it. When I came back after fetching the camera the ducks were approaching through the orchard, you can see them on the right, here:

And the waterhen took off and flew into the tree behind the stile!