February09

Monday, 2nd - Happy Birthday once more for yesterday, Maria!

The forecast snow has arrived - with a vengeance! This was the picture at 2.45 this afternoon, and it's even thicker now.

About 10 to 4 I went down to the pond with extra food, as our ducks still lose an awful lot to scores of pheasants and waterhens, they don't defend it, silly lot.

The snow was pretty deep, it was icy cold, and I nearly froze my fingers taking a few photos.

The duckies really hate it when there's snow, they find it really difficult to get through it, sitting down on their bellies every few steps. I feel sorry for them. It looks pretty in the garden, though!

Thursday, 5th February 2009

We did have sunshine during the day yesterday and Tuesday, the snow melted away from the trees and bushes but the ground stayed well covered and the small pond behind the garage was frozen again - all 11 paddling in the big pond all day keeps that one fairly open.

Because the top 7 had so much trouble walking through the snow, belly-flopping every couple of steps or so, I decided to clear a path for them yesterday morning while keeping the enclosure gates shut. I'd not quite got to the opening in the electric fence with my shovelling when I could see the 4 from the bottom making their way uphill - probably to see why their mates hadn't turned up yet. These four seem to be made of tougher stuff than the others; I don't see them sitting down every few steps.

When they got to where I was working with the spade they made a big detour around me until they considered it safe to get back to the path I'd shovelled, and then found it VERY easy going and interesting to peck the ground. They spent some time nattering to the 7 through the closed gate and then decided to make their way through the thick snow around the garage to the other gate. I stopped shovelling at that point ...... if they could manage so could the others. When the 7 came up for bed time last night [around 5 pm these days] they did trot beautifully along the path in single file.

This morning, however, I woke up to a winter wonderland again and yesterday's path obliterated! There were so many little birds looking for food that I started the day topping up the feeding stations on the birch and also clearing a patch for ground feeders. Then I saw to the ducks with food and water and carried on making a path from where
I'd left off yesterday all the way to the duck pond. I used a big, stiff broom to sweep yesterday's path as clear as possible because using the wooden-handled spade had given me a couple of blisters - honestly, the things we do for our ducks! It was good exercise this morning, though, I was out there sweeping and shovelling from quarter to 8 until half past 9. As a reward, and in the hope of getting some photos of the top 7 running along the path, I went out with the camera and opened the gate near the green houses. They came out right away and set off ... not along the path, but through the thick snow:

I was obviously too close with the camera for them, so they had to keep their distance .... and re-join the path a bit later:

After turning the corner they were soon in sight of the big pond,
and there was Captain coming up to “greet” them:

Then they all dived into the small open water space of the
big pond and were ready to start the morning's squabbles:

Everything is still looking lovely in the snow:

John and I were going for a walk in the snow after lunch, but it started snowing steadily again. So we're postponing the walk until tomorrow's promised sunshine breaks out!

Saturday, 7th February 2009 Brigitte's birthday

No, we still haven't been for our walk, and the snow's still here although it did melt considerably yesterday. However, the forecast was right about the frost overnight - when the hefty stick you've been used to breaking up the ice on the ponds with bounces back from the ice at first hit then you know you've had frost!

Something very unusual happened yesterday: our group of 7 split itself in two, unseen before! I hadn't opened the back gate because, after the renewed snowfall, I was going to wait until the fairly wet snow covering the cleared path had melted.

Well, it seems they couldn't wait. I first saw Boss Donald come by the garage accompanied by the three youngest girls Rellchen, Primmie and Decibels, and they made their way onto the path and down to the duck pond. Shortly afterwards Fanny comes out of the front gate, shouting loudly, and gets as far as half way to the opening in the E-fence. Having lost sight of the first 4 she turns back and re-joins Blob and Circle who had not moved out of the top enclosure. I was surprised to see that all 5 had learned to negotiate the snow rather well; it's still 12 cm or so deep where we haven't swept or walked.

About half an hour later I was alerted by some very loud quacking outside the house. It was Circle:

She seemed very unsure of where to go, took a few steps here and there and then returned to the little pond.

Half an hour later again she was back out making her way all the way to the pond - the FROG pond:

Poor girl, she obviously hoped to find all the others there.

You can see on this picture that she's making a racket, which brought results as those on the duck pond shouted back and Circle turned and made her way following the noise.

I've had to put arrows to point out Circle and the pond where she's headed because it was so hard to see.

There she goes - can you spot her on the left?

From the house I could see her diving into the duck pond a minute or so later.

I never saw Fanny go down there. I imagined she was keeping Blob company. At 12 I asked John if he would open the back gate so they could finally go and join the others, but only Blob was left in the enclosure John found, and the little coward made good use of the shovelled path once the gate was undone.

Friday, 13th February 2009 (Helmut thought Friday13th was lucky as he got married on one of those days)

It's been rather a pleasant day today, plenty of sunshine and the snow disappearing fast. I took just three photos of our little mob charging back down from the top to the bottom pond:

Sunday, 22nd February 2009

The snow has disappeared completely since the beginning of last week. It took a couple of days before we could set foot in the garden without squelching everywhere, but since Wednesday it has been possible to start digging out the pernicious weeds before they crowded out the shooting bulbs and treasured plants.

I started working in the garden properly on Thursday; oh, was I popular with the ducks! They've been ecstatic anyway since the snow's gone, indulging in a feeding frenzy in any mud puddles and digging under the grass. They've re-discovered the frog pond as well and have by now just about cleared it of duck weed, and they've been rushing like maniacs from one pond to the other ............................. all except Hedda who just cannot keep up with the runners and mixes.

While weeding near the frog pond the last three days I could observe the comings and goings quite closely, and on many occasions I could hear Hedda calling from the duck pond with only Captain responding now and again and running back to encourage her to come as well. This morning I got a bit worried when I saw Hedda curled up in a hollow this side of the duck pond, and I was dreading that she was ill and we'd lose our last Campbell. Then Captain turned up and stood next to her for quite a while when I was putting fresh bedding into the hut. I was thinking that, if I had the choice again, I wouldn't keep runners and Campbells together. It is such an effort and a strain on the big girls with their sideways waddle on short legs and heavier bodies when they like nothing better than being part of the group. I was relieved, however, to see Hedda come to the frog pond a couple of times today and the others "visiting" her many times more. Here's a long-shot view of Captain and Candida keeping her company:

Hedda has continued with her egg-laying, only missing 2 or 3 days since she started. Candida has joined her on many days - I know it was Candida because there was a pale blue/green egg in the hut on the two mornings when Anabelle had stopped in the top hut overnight. I thought little Miss Independent would stop at the top for good after those two nights, but no. She does just as she feels and seems at home in both groups, exactly like last year.

The boys think it is Spring already, as do the girls, really, with plenty of encouraging head bobbing from both parties and fights breaking out now and again - nothing too vicious yet that I've noticed.

Here on the left Big Boss Donald has Rellchen pinned down under him and Blob [on the right] is trying to muscle in.

And here are the two boys fighting while Rellchen has got away. You'll notice that white Circle at the top of the pictures is totally unconcerned about the goings-on!

In this photo Blob is giving chase to Rellchen while - can you just see her peeping out on the very right here? - Decibels is keeping a safe distance from proceedings!