September06

Friday, 1st September

Goodness me, another month has started. Where has the year gone? It seems like only the other day I was tearing my hair out trying to get enough girls for our four drakes.

Well, I've had to get used to seeing to the ducks without my little helper Eleanor, but the eggs keep being laid even without her encouragement, and the weather has been just lovely for ducks! Caught our 9 the other day marching back from what must have been their first venture up the drive. Look at poor Sweetie low down, almost hidden by the leading Donald:

Now for something new. I would like to introduce you to the runner duck sport of SYNCHRONISED CHASING. The rules are quite simple. You have to compete in pairs, and every move has to be duplicated by your partner in perfect synchronisation, as if pulled on a string. Points are deducted if one is running and the other is standing still, but you are allowed to shout instructions as Clarence is doing to Anabelle in the little picture below, second from right. All our ducks and drakes can do it, but Blob and Primmie are particularly good at it:

Tuesday, 5th September 2006 It's the birthday of my nephew, the one who devised, created and shaped this web site for me.
Thank you again, Richard, and Happy Birthday!

I thought it was a good idea to use the self-timer on the camera to catch the frantic morning rush of the ducks to get out of the hut and into the ponds. I made a mess of it. The first lot had gone when the camera clicked, and the second lot hadn't come out yet. So I enlisted John's help this morning and the result was a wonderful flurry of wings in each case:




You can also see where the sun hits first here. The apple tree crowd on the right above get it full blast in the afternoon - except when it's dull, of course!

To finish for today a nice peaceful photo of the duck pond yesterday early evening:

You can still see the big bag with the bedding I was about to spread in the hut after cleaning it.

Saturday, 9th September 2006

Richard did some work on streamlining the navigation on these duck diaries and sent me 4 new files which grouped all 2004 and 2005 months together and leaving just the 2006 months showing individually. It had been getting a bit crowded in the navigation bar as you opened the duck diaries, and I'd had a bit of trouble adding September06 to it.

So, all I had to do was put these 4 new files in - but it didn't work. I was lucky though. Carl and family came around last night, and my brilliant son tidied up all the mess and duplications I had created in the past and made the new system work. A big THANK YOU to Richard and Carl!

I did some clearance under the trees in the duck run the last 2 days, under Hamish's copper beech, oak, birch and under the Amelanchier in this photo here, and in the process uncovering lots of "goodies" for the ducks. I love the way all 8 are grouped in the circle snaffling worms with Captain standing guard in the fading light.

Friday, 15th September 2006

We had some weather yesterday, it was belting it down. A particularly violent thunderstorm broke just after lunchtime, I can't remember a time when the rain was lashing more fiercely than that. Even the ducks were looking for shelter under the shrubs near the frog pond! "They look like drowned rats" John said. On this photo you can (hopefully!) see the rain coming down like strings and the ducks struggling against the wind:

And what a difference a day makes - lovely sunshine and warm. On this pic above they're enjoying an afternoon snooze where John has recently done some weeding and made it easy for them to snuffle in the soil. I'm not entirely happy when they hang around in that area at the bottom of the frog pond near the stile - the last fox attack came from there.

Thursday, 21st September

I was surprised to find a "baby" egg in the 9er hut on Tuesday, and there was one yesterday and today - these latter two slightly bigger. They are the light blue/green runner duck egg colour, so it looks as if the youngsters have started laying. I wasn't sure that they would this late in the season. I took a couple of photos, of course:


I've put the first 'baby' egg next to Hedda Hopper's from the same day and also a "normal" sized runner duck egg for comparison. These little eggs look so dinky it seems a shame to eat them!

It's evening now, the ducks are shut into their huts. Night falls about 5 minutes earlier each day, and "bedtime" is around 7.30 now.

For the second time recently John has had to be at a meeting for 7, so to get the ducks in at dusk without having them circling their huts for about 20 minutes and making me mad I've had to resort to my trusty helper, the dummy:

On the first occasion I stood it too close to the duck pond hut and the ducks were so frightened they fled and wouldn't go near the hut. When I moved the dummy a bit further away it worked a treat.

I learned my lesson, and tonight I placed the dummy just right in both enclosures and both lots of ducks went in without any problem at all. Hurrah for tailors' dummies!

Tuesday, 26th September 2006 Sarah's birthday

When I came across the "house" lot of ducks rooting around the fallen ash yesterday I was reminded that it is now well
over a year ago since it came crashing down on 9.9.05.
The "sculpture" is now part of the scenery and I'm pleased that nearly all the plants in that area have survived. While I was watching I noticed Harlequin coming down the slope towards the ash, and then Primmie and Rellchen rushing up to chase her away. Harley was stopped in her tracks, and when the other ducks joined the youngsters she obviously felt outnumbered and went towards home again:


I had gone down that way to clean out the duckpond hut, but was stopped in my tracks when I saw the huge potatoes John was digging up:

Wow! 1 jacket potato enough for three people?

The duckpond ducks had a great time rummaging around where John had dug. The other lot weren't allowed to join even though the fence was open - Captain chased them off when they came near.

Late in the afternoon both groups tend to go into the field - slugs and worms must be coming to the surface then:

But I do notice the "home" crowd foraging in the garden near our house more and more. Here they are on the main path:

Have you noticed the upturned bucket in front with a weight on top? There's a mole trap underneath, but the mole is laughing at us; it keeps popping up all over the place, often right next to the trap, and has done for months, I'm sure. And can you see the apples in the trees behind the ducks? I've never known such a fantastic harvest. Our freezers are full of stewed Bramleys and we have no room for any more pies or Tartes Tatin!