What the Duck!

A little feel-good story for the weekend. I live in the suburbs but there are many open spaces and local wildlife does thrive. Squirrels, possums, raccoons, coyotes, field mice, and all manner of birds inhabit the area. Although we often see ducks, herons, vultures, hawks and geese flying overhead, it is rare that they come to visit.    

Strange Visitor 

Last week, for the first time, we saw a male duck swimming in our pool. Granted, I have not yet cleaned it up for the summer, so it was a little bit green but shouldn’t have been mistaken for a pond. But there he was, paddling happily in my pool. The kids liked it, thought it strange, but cool. The next day, when we did begin cleaning the pool, a female duck flew out from bushes. Very odd, but again, the kids thought it was neat.    

Look What I Found  

The coincidence was just too much. I began looking around my back yard, near the pool where the female few from. It took a bit of effort, but I found a nest hidden in some bushes right next to the pool. It is on the ground, straddled between the water and a concrete path. 

Nine off-white eggs, about the size of chicken eggs, are nicely arranged at the bottom of the nest. The female has been sitting on them for most of the day. Every once in a while she is spooked when we are in the backyard and get too close. She flies off, but not too far. She only goes next door, to swim in the neighbor’s pool, until we leave the nest area. Then she returns. 

Ducklings Ahead, Maybe  

I think we will have a clutch of duckling soon, if I can discourage the local raccoons from feasting on the nest. Honestly, I am not sure how this story will turn out. It could be warm and fuzzy with pictures of precious ducklings swimming about or messy with feathers and cracked eggs. Stay tuned.