15.12.2011 Down to dozen
The threat of two- and four-legged enemies
Three days later - and another duckling missing. This is really depressing.
People tell me about cyclists not looking to the left and the right, just pacing past,
with no regard to the ducklings. They tell me of motorists who do not brake
when a duckling steps onto the street.
Of dog owners who do not care about any other animal but their own pet.
The only good news: Smallie is still alive and growing.
He/she still has the striped fluff while its siblings' heads are now nearly as black as
their father's head, not too many white feathers left. Their faces look like badly shaved beards.
Only two of them have a lot of white fluff left on their necks.
Smallie is a brave little duck. When I feed them he/she races into the meddle to get his/her share of bread.
We are down to a dozen ducklings and hope they will soon be strong enough
to escape from two- and four-legged enemies.
Smallie swimming with its more...
... or less black-headed siblings.
This mother duck (cross of grey duck and mallard) and her two ducklings are brave new arrivals. She wants them to get some of the bread I give to the paradise ducks. The paradise duck parents chase them away but they do not give up and keep on trying again and again. I distract the paradise ducks by throwing a lot of bread pieces to them, and while they are busy feeding I throw some in the direction of the single mother and her two chicks.
The paradise ducks parents are always alert. You see it on this picture where the father's neck is stretched out, so he can spot and hear dangers as early as possible. Mother duck is scolding the chicks when they do not behave appropriately. One of them is always on the watch.
Dad (at the bottom left) joins Mum and the twelve ducklings.