around John's birthday

I'm sorry, I didn't get around to taking pictures at John's "party" last night, but he really enjoyed the happy gathering [we were 12] and was very pleased with the many and wonderful presents he had. May I thank all of you who sent parcels and cards and telephoned before John manages to thank you in person. He's feeling quite well today and has been trying to catch up on mowing on this rain-free Saturday, picture top right shows him in the front garden and as I'm writing he's cutting the grass in our new tree plantation.

Photo above left shows John trying out his new electrically operated recliner chair which he took to like a duck takes to water, and while on the subject of ducks I've got a story to tell ....

Last Thursday 22nd Captain vanished, our 8-year-old drake. I couldn't believe it when just the pair of mallards were outside the bottom hut at bedtime, and on closer inspection found Anke huddled in her nest box, obviously frightened. I was sure Captain would never have willingly left his only girl by herself and was sure he'd been killed, but still mounted a big search that night and again early next morning in all the places where I'd seen this pair spend their days.

I thought Anke would be very frightened by herself, and with John's help managed to grab Ben [our other fawn & White drake] and Winnie - a big girl like Anke - and pushed them into the hut for company. While I pushed those two in Anke escaped and we had great trouble catching her again and putting her into her hut.

I don't know if she was shouting all night, but I heard her complaining loudly when I woke up at 5, it's quite a distance between that hut and our house! The complaining went on all the time I searched for traces of Captain and also while I was getting water and duck-breakfast ready. My hopes that Ben and Winnie would keep company with Anke were dashed as soon as I opened the hut, they fled full pelt uphill towards their duck shed home, without a single glance at the food, so that was that.

The next few days Anke went off into hiding as soon as she'd had breakfast, sometimes retuning in the afternoon for dry food [staying outside the fence though if Tuts was anywhere near] but always standing ready by her hut in the evening .......... except last night. When I went out at quarter past eight she was nowhere to be seen; I put the two other groups in and then went to search for her. Arriving at the nature pond I could see her standing in some tall weeds on the far side of the pond, but instead of coming along as usual she turned away and vanished in the "jungle" of weeds. I had seen the direction she'd taken, but couldn't find her again when I followed. I decided to wait and see if she would come back on her own and returned to the birthday gathering. Half an hour later I went to the nature pond again, and there she was standing in the same place again. Her initial reaction was flight, but then I managed to drive her gently towards home. She ignored the food and went straight into her hut. I tried for the third night to grab her to put her into the girls' hut for company, but gave up again as she panicked.

Panic or not, I determined not to let her out again to roam and turn feral, so this morning I caught her straight out the hut - only just! - and carried her to the top. Going past the garage she caught sight of Tuts and shrieked in fear, but as soon as she was with the girls in the enclosure she relaxed. Going out with the camera later to take the photos below Anke seemed quite at home and happy, I do wish I'd bitten the bullet and taken her out of her hut earlier .......

After I'd let the brown twins out first thing there were just these five girls in the enclosure, although Honey [at the top of this picture] must have flown out again sometime later because I saw her out and about. Billie-Jean, front left, has taken over from Gertie being broody, I have to chase her off the nest every morning when I bring the dry food about 11.

Anke and Dotty look quite similar, I thought I was looking at Dotty when I brought the food and searched all over the enclosure to see where Anke was hiding - until I saw that Dotty was in the pond ...

Dotty left, Anke right

Anke in the little pond and in the blue 'bath'.

I could see the girls had a little visitor when I brought the dry food this morning, a little partridge:

I've shut the bottom hut, now there are no residents it cuts my duck care down by a third. The big pond has sprung another leak [the water level is down by 10 inches], but it is not urgent to mend it - my previous patch is still holding by the way:

You may have wondered about the straw you could see in one or two of the photos above. Well, I had to do something after the horrendous amount of rain recently turned the girl ducks' enclosure into a quagmire and poor Dotty was slipping around in it unable to get a grip.