Quackers and Cheese came back home!

After going missing for many months, Cheese and Quackers returned home a few weeks ago and started begging for food at the window again. They are almost tame still, but Quackers doesn't do her flying-up-and-down-on-the-spot trick any more when I say "fly". I am so pleased to see them and that they survived the duck hunting season.

I started feeding the ducks again because it was still Winter, and I have a soft spot for Quackers. After a week Quackers and Cheese brought 5 little fluffy ducklings to us to feed. The ducklings all managed to hop onto the deck and ran straight to the window encouraged by Quackers.

After stuffing themselves with soggy wholemeal bread, Quackers and her ducklings all snuggled up cosily on the deck for a snooze. I continued feeding the ducks and ducklings 3 times a day for a couple of weeks. Then Quackers and Cheese started visiting without the ducklings. I thought something had happened to them, but they were quite safe hiding by the pond. Cheese and Quackers had had enough of them and decided that they were old enough to fend for themselves.

The ducklings started coming to the house by themselves, hopping onto the deck and tapping on the window with their beaks, begging for food. They have adopted us as their parents. When I open the window to feed them they rush up to me and peck at my toes waiting to be fed. So now they are being fed 3 times a day.

I took the photo above this afternoon. The 5 ducklings are about half the size of their parents now and have got most of their adult feathers.

And here are the mischievous ducklings trying to get into the house. We can't leave any of the doors open, and have to keep the cat door closed because the ducklings try to get into the house. They discovered the cat door a week ago and one duckling managed to get in through it. I was sitting at my computer at the time when I heard a rather loud quacking noise. I found the duckling in the kitchen. Dad managed to get it out through the dining room door without any trouble.

Now the ducklings can hear which room we are in from outside. They go from window to window looking in and if they are hungry they tap their beaks on the glass demanding service. Spring is a wonderful time!

See you again soon.

Hugs

Rose x

A laugh for today

I couldn't resist sharing this cute photo with you.

I laughed so much when I saw Guido, my Siamese cat, asleep with the 2 wild Mallard ducks! This made a great start to my day. I am absolutely, definately, not a morning person and was struggling to wake up and get out of bed. Then I heard mum urgently calling me to come quickly to see Guido.

I thought at first that something terrible had happened to him, so I rushed into the kitchen, my head spinning from the shock of getting up so fast. Mum was pointing out of the kitchen window, laughing, saying that I had to see this, quickly!

There was Guido absolutely fast asleep with 2 ducks!

I have no idea whether the ducks had settled down to sleep there first or Guido. Guido quite often walks among birds and for some reason he has no interest in chasing them and birds are not afraid of him.

We used to feed a flock of Malaysia spotted doves which often visited. Guido was fascinated by them and followed them around in circles just a couple of feet away. He would then sit in the middle of the flock, mesmerised, while the doves pecked the ground around him.

Maybe these two ducks were too boring for him and the effort of watching them was too much. Or maybe he is just not a morning person like me lol.

I couldn't decide on a title for the photo. I came up with these ideas:

- Truce
- Who arrived first?
- Strange bed fellows
- Best Friends
- End of duck hunting season

Can you think of a funnier one?