Pip and Peeper taken to Project Wildlife

Pip (right) and Peeper (left)

Yesterday, I saw two young ducklings all by themselves. I think that they're the missing "parking lot" ducklings. I don't know where they've been all this time, but they were alone when I saw them. Their real mom was nearby with Poquito, the third duckling. But, mom was only keeping the one duckling warm and ignoring the other two. But, they didn't seem distressed, so I let them be.

This morning, they were still in the same place they were yesterday, but I went for my walk and came back a couple of hours later. They seemed very lethargic in the morning, but all the ducks were that day, so I didn't think anything was wrong. But, when I approached them, one moved away fast, but the other could hardly move and fell flat down. So, I grabbed him and got a box. But, I couldn't catch Pip, the second one, so I let him go as I wasn't going to take one and not the other.

Pip watches over his lethargic brother, Peeper

I did see them both eat and drink and act healthy after I let Peeper go, though I could tell that Peeper couldn't keep up with energetic Pip. A coot came by and attacked Peeper pretty bad and he couldn't get away. Then, all the other ducks started attacking them, including their mom and Poquito, their brother. Someone else came by later and helped me catch both and I took them to Project Wildlife. I sure hope I did the right thing as the lady at the desk seemed upset about me bringing them in. Peeper just seemed really lethargic and hardly moved while his friend, Pip, comforted him the whole time with cute baby duck babble.

I hated taking them in as I don't know what Project Wildlife is going to do with them. The person helping me seemed to be upset at me for bringing them in. I hope they just don't go right out and release them tomorrow or within a few days. Also, I would love to know what was wrong with Peeper. I'm hoping it's just a little hypothermia or malnutrition and nothing serious.

All three ducklings are between three and four weeks old. I am strongly suspicious that they turned up like this all of a sudden. They were acting like dumped ducks. I suspect they may have been stolen and returned to the lake.

Poquito is doing fine as are Ducky's ducklings and all the other ducklings at the lake. The older ones, such as the three sister's families are starting to wander away on their own.

Poquito

I saw the new ducklings in Cowles Bay today, down to six, feeding on algae in the drainage ditch:



D. and Killer have chicks:

Yesterday, I saw D. and Killer take their 5 to 6 week old chicks out to the feeding area. Both were male. Today, both of them were in the ballfields with three of the four older M6 male chicks, playing. I am not sure if Killer and D. had more chicks other than the two males.



And, of course, here is another shot of the roof killdeer. I thought he was George's grandson, but it's possible that it could be Spike, though I am not sure. He sure does look familiar. There are rocks on this slanted roof and I'm not sure if there's a flat spot where there could be a nest, but it's possible.