More Ducky Tales

Last week we managed a visit to the park. The little ducks have left the Goose's island and moved to another, so the three of them are together. We called them over and they all came but none would leave the water. I think it is safer that way for them. They gobbled up the little bit of bread we had and then swam back to the island. At least we feel they are safe there. We do miss them. The swan came over to eat, but the goose said it was too cold and stayed on the island.

DUCK WARS

The funniest thing happened at the park today: there was a duck war. How do ducks fight you ask? Well, they stand about half a metre apart, they stretch out their necks a little, fan out their tails as wide as they can and lift their wings about 2 cm off their bodies. Then they start honking at each other like geese. Who was it, you ask? It was Cute Duck and Ducky Wagtail. They knew we were going to feed them and didn't want the other too close & getting all the food. Eventually, Cute Duck, who is a bit smaller, ran off, Ducky Wagtail giving chase. Can you say ducks ran? Well they waddled at top speed. Finally Cute Duck jumped back in the water, and Ducky Wagtail stood honking at him for a couple more minutes. We fed all the ducks, the goose and the swan. The eels didn't get any today.

But the war wasn't over. After he had eaten his fill, Ducky Wagtail went and stood beside the water, because he needs to drink after eating. So Cute Duck and Beauty Duck seize their chance. They put the tips of their beaks in the water and waved it backwards and forwards while quacking. You can't get ruder than that to a duck. But goose spotted them and swam between them and Ducky Wagtail. Littlest Beauty Duck swam around Goose and continued waving its beak in the water, so goose swam around it again to push it away from Ducky Wagtail. Then all was peace.

Goose has done this fight stopping before. It also looks after Swan with its sore foot by standing near it. It is not aggressive. We know, because it and Swan nodded their heads at each other which is duck/goose/swan for "Hello".

The duck in the photo below is an Australasian shoveler! How aobut that? I noticed the beak is very long and broad for such a small duck.

NEW DUCK

At last, swan seems to be on the mend.
Good news is: a new duck on the block! Here, have a look and in a few more days I might be able to identify it.

Healing?

I had another look on the Friday and he was eating and swimming, but still not a happy swan. Tomorrow I will be going to feed him bread and seed. These are concentrates for birds like swans who mainly eat weed. It will hellp him over winter, I hope.

POOR SWAN!

Two days ago I went to look at the ducks because we had seen our favourite for the first time in a few weeks, when I noticed that the swan was behaving strangely. It was sitting on the edge of the footpath, and not moving when people went past. So I went up to it and fed it a bit of bread, in tiny pieces because he doesn't like big ones and normally he would wet the food. And then I saw he had a very sore looking foot: about half looks missing and it was all swollen.
I rang up Wires, an animal rescue group, but they said it would probably fly away and they wouldn't even send anyone out unless I could assure them it couldn't fly. So I went back to the park to look and saw it hobbling using its wings to keep the weight off its sore foot and go up the grass into some shade. Then it was still too hot, so it hobbled back into the water. It was very sad and sore.
I gave it lots more bread which it gobbled up.
Yesterday it was still in the water, but swimming slowly.
Today it was swimming strongly and using its sore foot. But when it was standing on the bricks where the water lilies grow which is its favourite spot to clean itself and sleep in the day, it was holding up it's sore leg and trying to clean it. It will have to get a very strong other leg for a while while the sore foot recovers.

He had a run-in with an eel over some bread and the eel nearly flipped out of the water. The eel is about a metre long and it is very fat. I'm sure it is blind. It finds the bread by smell. The swan hates it and bites it. If the goose bites it the goose has to wash his beak out, but the swan doesn't. Must have different taste buds.

Ducky wagtail was looking for seed but we only brought him brown bread. He ate a bit then holds out for seed. He loves budgie mis and so does Goose. All the Moor hens love seed too and the other ducks. But only Goose andDucky wagtail will get out of the water for it and it sinks in the water, though if it is on a concrete path that goes through the water about 8 inches deep, then Goose and Wagtail will put their heads under the water to get it. I will have to buy seed tomorrow and the pigeons will be happy, they eat the left overs.

AT LAST!

I finally found the cord for the camera to download stuff onto my computer, so now everyone can see this year's black swan. Isn't it lovely to look at? We're not sure if it is male or female, we have no way of knowing. Maybe there are two that we only see one at a time. If they have a nest, that is possible. They eat lots of weed in the lake so I bet the ducks don't love it, but goose thinks it is good company, I think goose likes the size of it, bigger than the ducks. Ducks become little nothings in the goose's mind when it sees the swan. It swims after the swan and keeps it company for a while. But they talk different languages: the goose goes "honk honk" and the swan says "hoom hoom". Yes, we heard the cob last year making a deep "hoom" noise to the female. So they are not mute.

CREATURES

So, when you go to the zoo, there is always a favourite animal you must see, and for us it is the meerkats.
Ok, don't forget to click on it to see it bigger! Isn't it the sweetest looking creature even if they wouldn't be if you tried to pick one up. I can imagine how ripped-to-shreds your hand would be!