Many of my readers know we lived on a boat in a marina for three years.
In that time, we watched nature at close quarters, ducks, geese, swans, even a pheasant once which Maggie lifted on the dog walk and I didn’t even know it was there!
The ducks fascinated me, and I named a few. I got some good shots too of ducklings and young cygnets, and when we went on our trips up river, fields were full of Canada geese and if we were lucky, goslings.
Photos: all mine taken in May 2015.
The park here is full of Canada geese, and mallard ducks, just like we had on the marina.
It would appear we have a relative of the Migrant Three here:
Sadly this reduced to two by July as we found the oldest white duck dead in the water and fished her out.
Photos: Our migrant three and then two.
Also, we have another Laughing Duck here and in the main, the males outnumber the females by about four to one.
We noticed another type of duck the other day and since then the number has grown to 11!
These aren’t my pictures, but black and white tufted ducks are swimming merrily on the lake, their distinctive orange eyes gazing eerily at you.
I’m so hoping to get some pictures of ducklings and goslings when they arrive. Unlike in the marina, they shouldn’t have quite so many predators to pick them off.
Photo: May 2015, aboard a neighbour’s boat which was ‘grounded’ as Mrs Mallard had taken up residence and laid 8 eggs, 7 of which hatched.
The Canada Verse gather all their young together and post adults to protect the fledglings. Other ducks will do the same. We watch the Common Merganser gather the feeds one year One refused to follow the female. He then out th a male and survive by himself that summer. The mother merganser died as she got herself tangle with fishing tsckle.
How sad about the mother getting tangled in fishing wire. We loved the way the geese organised creches for their youngsters. Hopefully we’ll see that here too.
Reblogged this on Dream Big, Dream Often.
Thanks Danny
You are welcome!
So nice to watch them 🙂 I remember your posts about the ducks all too well. Can’t wait to see pics and read your stories about the new little ducklings soon…
Hi Sandra. me too, as it will all be different again. The ducks and geese are used to us now, so I might be lucky again.