I know some of you have been missing the ducks and ducklings, so here we go with today's FESTIVAL OF DUCKS!
Hannibal has finished his bath and is ready to party!
And here are the ducklings that hatched out on July 23rd:
They are getting, except for that little yellow one! She was in fact the first to hatch, but now she's the tiniest and lagging behind everyone else in growth. She seems healthy and active, so we shall see. At first I thought maybe she was the only girl, which would explain the size difference, but now I suspect otherwise.
There's her tiny self, sitting off to the right. She is also the most adventurous of the five ducklings, and the only one who doesn't act like I'm a serial killer when I pick her up. Those two mamas did a good job of training their babies to be terrified of me! :(
They are awfully cute, even at this ugly duckling stage.
Meanwhile, here's Hannibal again...
He was born last summer and I made of video of his adventures in our bathtub last October after an unfortunate feather-picking incident involving his brothers and/or sisters.
He lets me give him little scritchies on the chest. Sometimes he tries to make passionate love to my arm!
These four are from the batch born in May. Jimette was in another corner. (I named her Jim after my Dad, then realized "he" was a "she!") That huge white one is the first born from the May clutch. My friend Ronna named him Ducky Duddle and he's really sweet. He's quite happy letting me stroke his feathers and beak.
Here's Amy Winehouse
, who is actually a drake. I have to stop naming the babies until I'm sure of their sex! Amy was born in August 2011.
My Hannibal, lounging by the kiddy pool!
Bianca, an all-white duck who is super sweet. She is obsessed with trying to drink from the house while I change the duck water.
The aforementioned Ducky Duddle (who is HUGE) with the aforementioned Jimette (who is feisty and likes to peck at my legs!)
Bianca and Ducky Duddle, hanging out.
Ducky Duddle is mostly white, but has some faint flecks of brown on his head and chest. At first I thought he was perpetually dirty, but nope, it was feather colouring!
He likes to nibble my wedding ring...
...and stick his beak where the sun don't shine!
Hope that helped you with your ducky cravings. Chick photos tomorrow.
And remember the other day when I told you this was a Monarch? It's NOT!
It's a Viceroy, an amazing mimic of ...
...the Monarch!
Thanks to Sheri at Willow House Chronicles for pointing this out to me. I always wanted to see a Viceroy. Now I have! :)
I did not know I had duck cravings but I do now. What breed are these ducks. They are very cool!
ReplyDeleteBarbara, they're Muscovy ducks! I like all the different colours they come in. :)
DeleteThey grow up so fast! [::sniff::]
ReplyDeleteDon't they just? Soon they'll be going to university!
DeleteDuck Soup? Whatever will you do with so many ducks? Not that I'm complaining.
ReplyDeleteHave some amusing pet that inhale an obscene amount of organic feed each month! :)
Delete"pets"
DeleteI was going to ask if they were Muscoveys, but just seen the above.
ReplyDeleteDare I say it, but that's the variety they use around here for foie gras. Personally I've only ever kept the white Pekins... very dull in comparison.
Muscovy ducks are supposed to make good eating, but we all know that's not going to happen to this lot! :)
DeleteDucks, ducks, ducks - and then you had to go dropping in another ruddy insect and let me scroll down too far so that I caught sight of the cannibalistic wasp eating its aged aunt alive (and that I'd been studiously avoiding)! MORE DUCKS! Ducks, I tell you, ducks! Duck duck duck duck DUCK duck duck DUUUUUUUUCK (he said, as he waddled off to eat toast in the library).
ReplyDeleteHow about chickens? I have some chickens lined up for today!
DeleteRaw or cooked? By which I mean, alive or deaded? Alive - lovely, deaded, perhaps not so keen.
DeleteBrrrrrk brrrk brrk brk brk?
Those close ups of Hannibal and Ducky Duddle are really wierd. The nostrils look like eyes, and they have a hat on with eyes in it!
ReplyDeleteI can totally see that now that you point it out! Weird and very funny!
DeleteConcerning Hannibal's post-bath shake off; I knew that ducks had rather delicate legs (the poultry leader, when I was in 4-H, constantly lectured us 'never hold a duck by their legs!'), but in that picture his little knees actually look like they're hyperextended. I hadn't realize just how fragile they are, which I should have. I had muscovy ducks for a long time. :)
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, I'm jealous. ;)
Last spring a fox caught one of my ducks. We saved her but the fox had broken her leg. I managed to splint it and she healed up amazingly well. I'm always very careful with their legs. Amazing how such spindly things hold up so much duck!
DeleteIt's amazing to me that ducks can have such distinctive personalities. I love the photos where they are giving you the "stink-eye" while you take their pictures! I hope the undersize female is OK.
ReplyDeleteI think she'll be fine but I'll keep you posted! She's the feistiest of the lot!
DeleteI like the little yellow duckling!
ReplyDeleteThe other babies from May are HUGE!!!!! They are all adorable! thanks for the ducking fix! Can't wait to see the chicks!
They grow so fast!!
DeleteDucks and butterflies... nice combination! Colored post!
ReplyDelete