23 ducklings in one clutch?!

[chris330r]

Did mama show up today? @chris330r

Sorry for the late reply, but unfortunately no Mama or babies today. I had a busy day but each time I was home and looked out back, they were nowhere to be found. Lately they've been coming around only every few days so hopefully they'll pop up in the next day or two.
Mama's about 6 or 7 years old now so she's a tough old broad lol. I doubt anything sinister has happened to her, but it is strange how yesterday she wasn't there with the kids. I'll give it another day or two before I start worrying and will be relieved when I do see her. Hopefully i'll have a happy update to share tomorrow! Fingers crossed.

 

[chris330r]

They weren't out there this morning. Usually they will all be sitting waiting for me to come out or they're all crossing the pond on the way. I think if something did happen to Mama the babies would come here because they know there's free food for them.

Instead I was greeted this morning by a flock of brown Mallards. Usually there's 2 or 3 that visit, but today I counted about 20 of them!---I have no idea where they came from. Maybe the regular 2 Mallards told their buddies where the food is.

I wonder if they're scaring Mama and her babies away? I know all ducks are fiercely territorial. Here's the new flock and a visiting crow. Look how they all perk up to watch the crow fly in lol.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I hope you see them all real soon.
That might be another mother and her brood from this year. lol

we feed the wild birds and watch them bring their babies to the feeders, they know where the fast food restaurants are. lol

 

[chris330r]

I hope you see them all real soon.
That might be another mother and her brood from this year. lol

we feed the wild birds and watch them bring their babies to the feeders, they know where the fast food restaurants are. lol

Mama just came by with the brood!! I brought my Sun Conure out to the patio and when he saw all the Brown Mallards he started his loud screeching and within minutes Mama and the babies waddled up. I think my Conure's screeching makes them come over?

Anyway here's Mama with her growing children. She was really hungry and fiercely pecked at the White Ibis birds when they tried snatching break out of her mouth with their long beaks. I despise those birds---they're just awful creatures that peck food right out of any other bird's mouths. But Mama kept biting their wings and wouldn't let go when they tried to escape from her clutches lol.

Here's also

my Sun Conure Bruce---I now wonder if his screeching is like a dinner bell to the ducks?

 

[Miss Lydia]

So relieved she is okay. She looks good and so do her ducklings. Um teenagers. lol
Your Sun Conure is beautiful.

 

[chris330r]

So relieved she is okay. She looks good and so do her ducklings. Um teenagers. lol
Your Sun Conure is beautiful.

Thank you and i'm relieved as well...I was feeling a bit worried this morning when I didn't see them again so that's why I brought my bird out there earlier and made him screech to see if they'd come and sure enough they did lol. Conures are very loud birds so I bet they probably heard him from all the way across the pond! I'm just glad everyone is safe and sound.
The Conure is 18 years old and I had him since he was 6 months....he's probably going to outlive me because they can live up to 40 years. (Had I known that little fact from the start, I never would have taken him in, but he's my little baby and I can't imagine life without him.)

 

[chris330r]

Here's what I like to be greeted to in the morning! They seem to know when I come out back to open the patio windows and i'm usually met with this sight of Mama leading the pack across the pond. Zoom in and notice how the Brown Mallards appear to be giving them a VIP escort lol.
Then they come running over while waddling back and forth for breakfast. It's such a welcome and happy sight. And still 19. I think it's safe to say they're all going to reach adulthood.

 

[Canadian Wind]

Love that line of littles just zooming over!

 

[chris330r]

Love that line of littles just zooming over!

Seeing it makes my whole morning. I think Mama sees me open the curtains from across the pond and starts heading over with the bunch so I patiently wait for them to cross.

Today I came home and walked around back and they all started running towards me but stopped short about 2 feet away. They usually see me from inside the patio tossing out food through the window and this was the first time I was out there with them without any barriers.

But they wouldn't dare come any closer so I scurried inside the patio to make them not feel threatened and brought out the treats through the window. I'm really going to miss them when they eventually and scatter off to different places. A few may stick around and make this their home but i'm sure most will fly off to other places....at least I hope so!

 

[chris330r]

Mama's getting some much needed shut eye while the children relax after their treats today. Their coloring is becoming more pronounced and one is starting to look like a cow with the black/white markings on her chest....I'm calling that one Bessie lol.

Afterwards they all followed Mama into the pond and off to their night time nest. The Wood Stork in one of the photos is another regular who comes for treats and goes off somewhere for months but every July he returns and stays for a few months before leaving again. I call him Woody and he's right up against the patio window each morning waiting for his bread. He stands back while I feed the babies so he's a very polite bird!

I don't know what that pinkish bird with the flat beak is in the middle photo. It looks like an Ibis, but I don't know why it's beak is flat like a waffle iron lol. It follows the babies everywhere and pokes at them...Strange looking creature!