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| Troublemaker |
I think there were two mamas with new ducklings on this cloudy morning. One had 7 and one had 6. But, it could be the same mama and I just didn't see the #7 duckling. Here she is with her ducks in a line.
There was a weird, brown, oily substance and I hope it wasn't toxic because the ducklings were eating it. I think it was natural because it smelled like plants and the foamy part had the consistency of stringy algae.
Mama duck was extremely nervous and kept moving her ducklings back and forth and away from any threat. I hope those ducklings will be OK because she seems like a great mama. We've lost too many ducklings to bad mamas:
The 7 older ducklings are still around and the little troublemaker is as cute as ever. He's still much smaller, though. They're in a new area and I think Gaddy the Gadwall is hanging around. I'm wondering if the little troublemaker is a Brewer's duck; that is a gadwall-mallard hybrid. I'm noticing a good amount of white on his belly and his bill is shaped differently. We shall see if and when he gets older:
His siblings are much larger and definitely are starting to look like young mallards. Troublemaker is about a week behind them in development, I think. These two will be flying soon. I just hope Troublemaker doesn't have any problems or gets abandoned. I don't think he will because his mama loves him and he is her favorite.
The goslings, I hear, are already flying even though they don't have their primaries:
They look like mini adults:
Definitely have their cheek patches now and I think you can begin to tell the gender:
Pat the male/female duck has returned!
And, so has Sissy and she looks great! Her neck feathers have grown back:
Here she is telling the brown duck that Runner Duck is her chosen mate:
She always likes to talk to humans:
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