Ducky bedtime ....

... is wonderfully easy these days.  Anke no longer runs around the bottom hut any more - as she did for about 2 weeks recently before finally consenting to go in, and the two top huts are even easier.  Having shut Captain plus two in the remaining 16 all run to the top and into the old chicken enclosure.  I clap my hands and one after the other - Jay-Z in front - 9 of them run into the shed.  I shut that door, and in the meantime nearly all, or all 7 are in the top hut.  Tonight just Honey was still in the little pond, but as I came up she jumped up the ramp and that was it.

They sorted themselves out.  The first couple of nights after the 7 boys had gone to Derbyshire I had to grab Ben or Billie or Gertie out of the shed to put into the top hut, ever since then Ben and 6 girls have gone in by themselves.  The share-out is not as I had intended, but what does it matter if they're all happy?  The three fawn&whites Ben, Billie and Gertie are joined by Winnie, Honey and the "terrible twins" Vera and Dash.  Jay-Z and Tuts have Beyoncé, Dotty, Daisy, Mocca, Caramel, Purdy and Bless with them - Purdy still delights me every morning by daintily trippling down the ramp after the others have tumbled or flown out.

I'm sorry I've taken hardly any photos last week, so I'll put in some of the "girls" having a preen at the back of the pond on 14.2. and 3 of John doing acrobatics in the dying cherry tree - it has to come down before it smashes the duck shed, lots of big branches have come close already!