Cyn's Nature Notes: Good Duck News

Saturday, 6 July 2013

Good Duck News

It has been a glorious day, bright sunshine and hardly a breath of wind.

We have a blackbird and a robin still feeding their young, but as soon as I put food out for them , the pigeons and magpies fly down and gobble it all up. I have noticed that if I call to Blackie before I throw the food out, they are waiting as soon as the first handful hits the ground. So my plan is to put the food out quietly and hope Blackie finds it before the others.

Earlier, we were in the middle of tea when we heard someone knocking on the patio windows, it sounded like someone tapping with their car keys --- not a normal knocking, looking I saw no-one, however as I turned away I noticed a movement high up. Turning back and looking up, I was amused to see the female duck's head suddenly appear and her long neck stretch down, as she reached for the glass and then tapped at it with her beak.

Going to the kitchen I fetched two slices of bread wetted them and breaking them up threw them out of the window, before they hit the ground she was there. I took half a mug of bird seed and holding it out of the window, I shook it to gain her attention with the sound, and then showed her it being poured from the window to the ground underneath, she cannot see this ground from the lawn because of the flower border between. I wondered if she would understand that if she wanted the seed she would have to come and find it. She did not disappoint me, as soon as she finished the wet bread she waddled round the flower border and consumed the seed, before flying back to her precious chicks.

She has tried so hard to lay eggs and bring up a brood of youngsters this year, the first time she made her nest on the garage roof. This didn't work and the next nest was in a large ornamental pot in my neighbour's garden, it was full of geraniums and although she couldn't be seen from their lounge, she was very visible to the fox as he walked up the garden. So she lost these eggs, but fortunately survived herself. This was a few weeks ago and we haven't seen her since.

We didn't know where her next nest was but felt sure she had one. A few days ago we visited a nearby nature reserve and while there we spent time in the hide, great was our pleasure and delight when we saw her in the centre of the water with her brood of six chicks.

Did she hear us I wonder, because we had only been home a short while when she flew in and came to the lounge window for food. Since then she has been back daily, eating the food at great speed before quickly flying off, not even taking time to visit the pond or a bird bath for a drink.

No comments:

Post a Comment

About this Blog

When we moved to our present home in December 1987, I was very ill and bedridden. My garden was a life-saver, although it was very different then. The first thing I did was to put up bird-feeders, and long hours were spent lying indoors in a recliner. This was when I discovered many things. Do you know the underside of every blue tit’s tail is differently marked? Gradually, over the years, the garden changed. We put in shrubs and plants that would not only enhance the garden, but would also be good for wildlife. The first rabbit we saw was so joyful for us. The deer eat the flowers, prune the apple trees, eat the marrow, and are wonderful to watch. Foxes have been a major part of our wildlife. We have fed them each night for more than 20 years. They are such a delight, especially in late summer and early autumn when there are youngsters. They behave like puppies and are great fun to watch.

I love all wildlife: the mason bees that nest in the brickwork of the bungalow, the hornets that last year made their home in the roof above our bedroom, the bees currently nesting in the roof above the bathroom. On a hot evening, if you stand quietly in the bathroom, you can hear this amazing sound: it is very rhythmic and reminds me of the waves at the seaside. It is made by the beating of the bees’ wings as they fan their nest to keep the temperature at the right level -- how many people have heard that sound? I feel so privileged.

Obviously, I feed the birds. When I open the window in the morning I call “Come on Bobby and Blackie”, and one followed swiftly by the other they fly immediately to the bird table. Each morning, on rising, I make my way to the kitchen and find the squirrels already sitting on the window ledge waiting to be fed. Winter brings the moorhens and spring time the mallards. Our pond is a poor effort from a human point of view, but wild creatures see it differently. On summer days, the grass snakes spend long hours in the pond: eating the fish, froglets, toadlings, newts, and any other living creature they can swallow. Although I hate to see the pond emptied this way, I do enjoy the snakes and feel they are an important part of the balance of nature in the garden. Watching a dragonfly nymph climbing out of the pond, up a plant stalk, and then over the next few hours gradually transforming into a beautiful dragonfly -- these are contented hours well spent.

It has been my pleasure to write and publish a nature column each month. I am always delighted to hear how much pleasure this brings to my readers. I have often been asked if I have written a book, so I am making more of my writings and photography available through this web site and blog.