Announcing the Arrival of the Ducklings

[Soozie B]

The long awaited arrival of the ducklings as happened. Somewhere between 6pm last night and 8am this morning they hatched into this wonderful world - I managed to count 8 in this batch, still hoping there are more to come. The guardians are being very protective and keeping the littlies close to the muddy lagoon bank when grazing the grass for bugs and hidden well around the reeds when in the water.

I did manage to steal a few shots though :-)

1. Babies being led back to the safety of the very muddy water


Arrival of the Ducklings by Soozie_Lou_B, on Flickr

2. Some majestic old fella just standing around watching the ducklings (I think it is a crane perhaps?)


Crane? by Soozie_Lou_B, on Flickr

[ucci]

Really like #2 Nice work. But missed the ducklings at first glance in #1. They are so tiny. Sure would need a whole heap of them to make a decent pie!

[Soozie B]

Hi Ken and thanks

he was a beauty wasn't he. and yes the ducklings are indeed tiny. They would be no bigger than 10cm or so in height and when swimming they would fit into an egg ring - I am by no means supporting the pie theory ;-)

They are totally adorable, and at less than a day old they are very adventurous. The male kept rustling them up from behind and calling to them in a stern quack as two of them seemed to have "attitude" already and kept separating themselves from the group

[Bobobird]

Beautiful shots.

#2 should be an Intermediate Egret.

#1 I could sit all day just watching them run around. Keep taking shots of their progress.

Early in the year we had some wood ducks and kids and they kept as far away from humans as they could. Over the summer they got more used to us and started coming closer and closer. Of course now they are all pretty big. The other day 2 of them came right up were less then 10 feet from me.

[Soozie B]

Hi Bobo and Thanks

I will most definitely keep the shots coming. These baby Mallards are like my family. I am down there twice a day to make sure they are doing ok, shooing away dogs and cats that think it's ok to scare them and telling human owners off that think its ok to let domestic animals encroach on our wildlife's territory.

I lost 2 and a half hrs today just sitting quietly in the reeds near the waters edge waiting for them to come and go so I could get a few nice shots. The rest of flock, mainly consisting of males, are very used to humans and do not run away as quickly. Except the new dad, and Im presuming its because the new mum would ripe his feathers out if he let anything happen to her babies!

[Soozie B]

Oh god ... I'm turning into the feathered equivalent of the cat lady aren't I?

[Bobobird]

Not unusual. Have seen this sort of human behaviour many times.