Ducks on the pond
Comments(19)
It won’t be long before wild Mallard ducks find our pond again. They see the long stretch of water and swoop in. It must seem the perfect spot. A generous pond with a good supply of goldfish and frogs. A safe and secluded haven for a pair of ducks to nest and raise a brood of ducklings.
Perfect without the Min Pins.
These are hunting dogs and our pack work as a team. Running at speeds in excess of 23 miles an hour a waddling duck wouldn’t have a chance. I try to avert disaster and actively discourage ducks in our garden.
As soon as I realise that a pair are viewing our pond with an eye to a short term let, I grab our golfing umbrella and rush down to the pond. The ducks are not keen on this red and white stripped harpy with legs and there is instant lift off. I hear them quacking as they flap over Anne Mary’s trees. Ducks are determined creatures; it can take a few days of twirling umbrellas to get them to leave forever.
Last spring I discovered a pair of wild Mallards swimming in our pond. With one twirl of the brolly they were off. The next morning they were back. I crept down to the pond and opened the striped monster with a roar. The drake rose from the water and never returned.
I couldn’t scare away his abandoned wife. A determined sitting tenant with nerves of steel. I observed her sunning herself beside the pond. If she heard the thunder of Min Pin paws she would slip into the water in a trice. Bobbing about, just out of reach of the Min Pin jaws.
As the days went by I tried every conceivable way to get rid of her. She remained unfazed by loud noises and flapping sheets. She took sharp blasts of water from the hose in her stride and seemed to enjoy the shower.
In desperation, I even tried talking to her. She would stare stonily back at me and circle the pond.
Was this a duck version of Mariana in the Moated Grange?
We gradually became attached to this resolute creature and named her The Duck. After a couple of weeks we woke to an empty pond. Had she finally left?
Picking some salad leaves in the kitchen garden I suddenly noticed her limp body in the long grass. When I picked her up she was still warm.
Had the Min Pins killed her or had she died of a broken heart.
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Oh
how sad. What a shame your min pins won’t co-exist with mallards.
The other year we noticed a pair of mallards about the garden, and I often met Mrs Duck by the greenhouse door. One Saturday afternoon our neighbour telephoned to summon us quickly into our veg garden where it was “raining ducklings” !!!!
Encouraged by Mrs Duck’s loud quacks the newly hatched ducklings had to launch themselves into the big wide world by leaping off the top of our 15ft brick wall! They then had to follow Mum down a sheer 4ft drop into the brook.
We hadn’t noticed the nest in a tangle of clematis montana within sight of our bedroom window!
Celia
PS Oh dear, Mariana wasn’t a happy bunny! Tennyson’s so good at wistful, mournful odes.
The housing estate where I grew up was built on the gardens of three large houses near the centre of birmingham, and there are still various relics around such as a small walled garden and lots of mature trees, but about halfway down the estate there is a duck pond. When I was a child we’d be visited regularly by two drakes and a duck, who my dad dubbed “im ‘n im ‘n er” (spoken quickly imanimaner) They’d come up to waddle around on the grassed area in front of our house and my brother and I would be given crusts to feed them with. We never saw them with ducklings, and we were never quite sure which of the “hims” was “her”s husband. At some point in my childhood, they stopped coming up, or perhaps we just didn’t notice them any more. However, two years ago, when my dad was in the very last days of his life, at home, the ducks came back. Mum, my brother and I were living that terrible waiting game of endless cups of tea and numerous jigsaw puzzles and we were astounded when im ‘n im ‘n er camped out on our front lawn, unphased by the traffic of nurses and wellwishers.
Three days later, my father died and the ducks waddled back down to the duck pond. My dad was aware that they’d visited, and was convinced they’d come to say goodbye. We were so happy to see them.
During my first teaching job a pair of ducks took up residence in the quad and after the ducklings hatched the quad was duly closed to students although I think the magpies got most of the ducklings. Subsequently we discovered that that was the worst thing we could have done as the ducks returned, convinced they had found a good safe place to rear a family. The ducks now cohabit with the students and were on their fourth annual visit when I left. I have no idea why they were attracted in the first place as there is no pond in the quad. Perhaps the pond in the grounds of the nearby Bubble Factory was too overcrowded? Or had they been evicted by the other ducks? Ducks with ASBOs?
We had a similar experience at the school I worked at- the ducks were attracted by the little pond outside the Biology labs. Every year they came, the boys duly tiptoed around them, got gooey eyed over the babies and every year the Red Kites had almost all the ducklings…I don’t know if they still arrive each Spring, but for many years there were optimistic, and it must be said, rather dim, ducks nesting in the quad.
Yes, that is sad. As she was wild, I suppose you couldn’t have put her in with the guinea fowl?
I have to say Clare’s story really touched me.
Hi Magic Cochin
How exciting to find a nest and leaping ducklings! What a shame that you didn’t spot it before. Did they survive the 15’ drop?
It’s a shame about the Min Pins. I love the breed but there are drawbacks.
Mariana is a droopy creature but I like the poem. It’s beautifully written.
Hi Clare
I thought about your comment all day. I can access the comments on my site via email on my mobile but can’t answer them until I return home.
The arrival of the ducks must have given your father so much pleasure. Visits from smaller creatures at key times have so much power. Thank you so much for sharing this.
Hi Pamela
This is so hard. We want to protect wildlife and then it all goes belly up.
Last summer 5 teeny ducklings strayed into our garden. They lasted a matter of seconds. Hopefully the parents will not return.
Hi Kate(uk)
Ducks are generally not the best mothers. I am amazed that ducklings survive, anywhere.
Hi Sally
I wouldn’t put a wild fowl in our run, having tasted freedom they’d be miserable.
It was sad but we knew that it was just a matter of time.
I agree with you about Clare’s story, it moved me too.
We landed up with a mother duck and her newly-hatched ducklings taking up residence. Mum disappeared off for hours on end each day and eventually left them entirely to our tender care. I could bore for England on their antics: nibbling my toes through my extremely holey gardening shoes; swimming around in circles in the dog’s water bowl, with the canines looking on in a somewhat nonplussed manner, joining me in the shower (uninvited) one glorious summer morning, having to winkle them out of the local pub where they’d popped in for a quick one (snack, that is)! I was relieved when they eventually departed. A couple of years later,a duck laid her eggs in the garden and I had the joy of watching them hatch. The next day, Mother waddled into the kitchen followed by her fluffy brood – she must have been one of ours!!
Oh, that is so sad! I hunt ducks, too, and I still find it sad. Did you find any eggs? Hope not. Will your dogs really kill the mallards? I suppose you can’t fence them in. I know it sounds odd, but even though I hunt them I love just watching them for the other months of the year.
I don’t know about English hunters, but in America we try not to kill hens. We don’t always succeed, but we try.
Hi Polly
What an enchanting story. Love the idea of the ducklings swimming in the dogs’ water bowl.
How wonderful that one of them returned to raise a brood!
Hi Hank,
It was sad. I didn’t find any eggs. The Min Pins would kill the mallards, given a chance.
I can totally understand that even though you hunt duck you enjoy watching them at other times of year. Most of the people that know who shoot love wildlife.
I don’t shoot myself so I don’t know whether we try not to shoot hens in the UK. Duck shooting is not as popular as in the US. The focus seems to be on pheasant, partridge, snipe etc over here.
Thanks for dropping by.
We were delighted when a week ago mother duck and her 10 ducklings waddled out from behind a bush and made their way to our garden pond. However, within minutes, a crow swooped down, killed one duckling and flew off with another. We immediately erected a net over the pond and covered the garden in large pieces of tinfoil, and so far, no more murderous attacks! We have put down the correct food for them (definitely NO bread)so hopefully they will be safe and well fed until they are old enough to fly away. However, next year we will have to discourage any ducks from nesting here, because our dog (which is very partial to a bit of duck dinner) has been temporarily banned from the garden, and spends his days looking out through the french windows at the little upstarts. His walks to the park have increased, but he wants his garden back.
Hello Pat
I do admire you battening down the hatches (dog wise). It may be some time before their feathers grow and they can fly away. Our Indian Runners are a month old and they are still just covered with down.
We have the same problem every year. Wild ducks spot the big pond in our garden and swoop in to nest. It must look perfect place before we wake up and the Min Pins charge out of the cat flap.
Even then we have a tussle getting the ducks to twig that the environment isn’t safe. I’m out there flapping beach towels and honking for at least a week before they finally up sticks and repair to a safer spot. My neighbours must think that I am mad but it’s vital to get them to move on. One dreadful day 6 ducklings took the wrong turn and waddled under our barn door. They only survived for a few seconds. It was horrible.
Flapping towels have the desired effect once you have found a duck sitting. You need to check every corner of your garden in Spring. If you have a pond they will tend to nest in that locality.
Hi everyone,
I am amaised at the stories, I was looking foer advice really but from the stories you have all told i am a bit more relaxed about mine.
I have had a garden pond for many years and i have thought it might be nice to have a few ducks for the children and complete the pond but we had to move home but we chose a pond as one of our boxes to tick, so our nrw home a bungalow has a bigger pond but needs some work tidying it up, and much larger garden but still in a rural area.
On wednesday 11th March 2009 an exact thing happened three ducks MALLARDS two drakes and one hen,arrived at the pond.I was so pleased i immeadiatly ran for bread great excietment, they then entered the pond splashed about for a while tucked there heads in there tail feathres and rested for two to three hours and flew off.
But they have been coming back early afternoon on every day since, But today i think was a mating day as the drake has definatly mounted the hen and they were here most of the day and flew off just before dark. I have now bought corn for them and they seem to like it but i have so many questions to ask, where do i go.
oh you really didn’t have to tell us that did you? it was fine until you came to the awful end of the story and my stomach got upset.
you could have left that part out.
What a lovely, poignant & sad story. Your story choked me Clare, bringing back sad memories of when my Dad died but it was lovely for your Dad that the ducks came back. Somehow animals seem to know don’t they. Polly yours made me laugh, you must have had a wonderful time with them and they don’t forget where their bread’s buttered (so to speak) do they.
We live in the city centre of Winchester and last year from april onwards we were visited every day by one drake and one hen, we gave them, bread, water & seeds, they would arrive early evening and stay the night, usually waddle off early morning, we have no pond just a lawn. Last week I woke to hear loud quacking in the garden looked out of my window to find one drake and one hen..I am convinced it is the same pair, they are sleeping in the garden as I write this, until finding this page I didnt realise how common it is, and have enjoyed reading the stories, some very moving and also funny!. I feel very lucky they have chosen our garden as a safe haven.
Hello Patience
What lucky ducks to have found a haven with food and treats!
Lucky you. I’d love to welcome ducks but the Min Pins mean that all have to be turned away.
Thanks for dropping by.
Fiona, I was reading all the duck stories, and I kept thinking you need a beaver house for the middle of your pond, but then it occured to me, have you ever considered building a float so the ducks have a safe place to retreat to in the middle of the pond? Kind of like a raft, no sides, very low so the ducks wouldn’t have to labor too much to get out of the water and on to it. You could anchor it so it wouldn’t drift to shore.
I know you don’t want to encourage ducks because of the min pins, but it would be nice to have a safe place for them in case something happens when your not at home.
Hi Michelle
Yes, you are right. A float would be usefulto all he visitors to the pond. Thank you.
We have had three summers at our house now. We have excitedly watched the wild pair of ducks (who we call Jeremy and Jemima) hatch 10 – 14 eggs in March every year on quite a big pond, close to the house. Then we cry as they all disappear one by one. Then in April, with some pain, I watch the various mallards in the county mating with Jemima as Jeremy tries to hold them by the neck in a vain attempt to keep her to himself. Then Jemima lays a second clutch of eggs and they, too, usually disappear – foxes, herons, wehave seen a stoat in the garden, and jackdaws – and now we have acquired two cats!
BUT ! After hatching about 60 ducklings since we have been here, TWO have made it to 8 weeks old. It’s even more exciting that one is a white one (born yellow)! Jeremy is rather mean to them (tries to chase them off) but they should be able to fly any day now, so we are very hopeful that they have “made it”. The oldest duckling we have ever had before this was 4 weeks.
I really think that having the cats around has made Jemima much more careful. Before she would take them on walks ALL OVER the garden – we have two other ponds – but now she is afraid to do so (I think) so they have had to stay in the relative safety of the one pond.
Their down has all gone and they have real feathers and WINGS instead of those little stubs! so we can see that the brown “baby” is a male but I don’t know what gender the white one is – until they are old enough to get that little [male] curl above the tail feathers.
It would be wonderful to have a female.
We feed the mother and ducklings raw porridge oats by hand with a dog bowl of water nearby so that they don’t choke. We also scatter the oats on the water for Jeremy, who has never fed from our hands.
This is a bit long but I wanted to share a success story – which we have waited so long for.
P.S. CLARE – the story of the ducks coming back for your Dad doesn’t surprise me – animals are so tuned in! How wonderful for you all. We scattered my Dad’s ashes from a small boat into the sea off Seattle, USA. Two dolphins appeared, swam along and then went slowly round and round the boat until we had finished our little ceremony. Very special.