Off-Topic, But Cute

[Flyfisher]

A proud mother was showing off her ten new ducklings this morning. Another has a brood of seven but she is rather more camera-shy.
I wonder how many will survive?

 

[JoceAndChris]

OH!!

Aren't they beautiful? Well done Mrs Duck! It's such an intense, tiring period for the mums, do you put out food for them? My Sukey has lost so much weight, she's on Day 20 now so I'm really hoping for chicks this weekend.

Such a happy time of year.

 

[Juju]

Really cute.

On a slightly related note, I've just had a pleasant morning doing volunteer gardening work for the National Trust - the sun was shining, I could hear cows and sheep in the nearby fields and I was gardening in front of a stunning 400 year old stone manor house. Great!

 

[Flyfisher]

Yes, we put out grain every morning plus I tend to throw out another handful each time they come near the house. I was surprised to see her again today because she waddled off this morning with a crop so full it was almost dragging along the ground!

The grain costs a small fortune (slight exaggeration :wink: ) and we don't even get any eggs, unlike with the hens.

But, as Juju says, it's so lovely to be working outside in the sun again after the long miserable winter.

 

[Penners]

I've just had a pleasant morning doing volunteer gardening work for the National Trust....in front of a stunning 400 year old stone manor house.

I'm guessing this one:

If so, I'm very jealous. I spent years waiting for the painstaking work on Chastleton House to be completed, while we lived in Swerford. Finally got to see it before we moved back to East Anglia, and it's stunning. One of my favourite NT houses.

Anyone who hasn't been there, put it on your list.

 

[Penners]

mother was showing off her ten new ducklings this morning.

Congratulations, FF. You must be very proud.

There's a similar event anticipated in the Penners family, within the next week or two. Miss Penners (otherwise known as Mrs M) is the size of a large beachball!

 

[Juju]

Spot on, Penners. If anyone is visiting Chastleton this weekend, take time to admire the neatly edged lawns at the front of the house and the weeded borders - I did them!

It is a fantastic house and setting. Lovely to see a NT property not over-restored.

 

[Moo]

I have fond memories of the day the the arrival of the first Penrose grandchild was announced (in HUGE red letters) on the forum. You will let us all know this time, won't you?

And, back to ducks -

Two summers ago at our golf club a duck decided to bring her brood up on the terrace outside the clubhouse. Seven bundles of fluff were spoilt rotten, with much sadness as their numbers dwindled over the weeks. But two survived and now seem to regard the clubhouse as 'home' and any humans enjoying a snack as fair game. The duck is particularly bold; she'll take food from one's fingers and does not hesitate to tug at people's trouser-legs if she feels she's being ignored.

 

[middi]

The village pond in Dunmow was full of lovey ducks, mallards,swans etc.., I don't know if it is a coincidence but within 6 months of the chinese take away opening most of the ducks disappeared. I swear I've eaten a couple.

 

[JoceAndChris]

:lol: :lol: :lol:

I shouldn't laugh, but I swear the same thing goes on in Ruskington, which is so crammed with ducks the restaurant is probably carrying out a civic act.

 

[FamilyWiggs]

A proud mother was showing off her ten new ducklings this morning. Another has a brood of seven but she is rather more camera-shy.
I wonder how many will survive?

They'll make nice Christmas lunches...

 

[Flyfisher]

Sadly, I doubt they'll last that long. If they follow the pattern of previous years we'll witness a gradual reduction in our breakfast guests over the next few weeks.

Still, I suppose we only need one or two for Christmas. :wink:

 

[Schoolmarm]

:lol: :lol:

 

[Penners]

If they follow the pattern of previous years we'll witness a gradual reduction in our breakfast guests over the next few weeks.

Then you've no time to lose....http://www.cookitsimply.com/recipe-0010-012h10.html

 

[Schoolmarm]

Oh dear :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[Flyfisher]

When does a duckling become a duck? A 5lb duck sounds reasonable, but a 5lb 'duckling'?

Perhaps I should have described them as chicks? Whatever we call them, I doubt they are 5oz at the moment, never mind the 5lbs required by that rather delicious-sounding recipe.

 

[Penners]

When does a duckling become a duck? A 5lb duck sounds reasonable, but a 5lb 'duckling'?

They become 5lb duckings after a few years of television, pizza, Playstation 3 and Turkey Twizzlers.

 

[AMc]

I've just had a pleasant morning doing volunteer gardening work for the National Trust....in front of a stunning 400 year old stone manor house.

I'm guessing this one:

If so, I'm very jealous. I spent years waiting for the painstaking work on Chastleton House to be completed, while we lived in Swerford. Finally got to see it before we moved back to East Anglia, and it's stunning. One of my favourite NT houses.

Anyone who hasn't been there, put it on your list.

We were lucky enough to rent the Brewhouse at Chastleton for a Christmas a few years back - guessing 10? - the people looking after the house were lovely. They set us up a beautiful tree and took us on a personal tour of the house. Truly exceptional experience and an amazing house, preserved by (relative) poverty of the owners.

 

[Flyfisher]

While showing off our mother duck and her family of 10 chicks yesterday, Joce pointed out that the family had grown to 13, which I hadn't noticed. This morning I went out to photograph them and noticed that the family had grown to 16!

What's going on? Is this normal? I had assumed that all eggs would hatch at the same time because the mother can't be sitting on the nest anymore, she's too busy herding her family around. Any duck experts out there (not the culinary kind!)?

Not a great photo, but it was quite difficult to get them all together:

 

[LadyArowana]

What's going on? Is this normal?

It's the feckless council house ducks who chuck the chicks out of the nest and expect some other duck to take care of them while they just beg for bread from the passing tourists............. :lol: