One of these ducks is not like the others,One of these ducks just isn't the same...
I came home this morning from work to see this adorable little Lesser Scaup in the pond. As soon as he landed my ducks were on him like...well...ducks on a June bug. Anyway, Jim and I sat and watched their antics out the window. The Scaup is a diver and he would *shloooop* dive down to feed off the bottom where my chubby dabblers can't reach. As soon as he disappeared from sight my ducks swarmed the area where they'd just seen him and look for him! They looked confused and bewildered, "Where'd he go?" And when the Scaup resurfaced they all rushed him, "Oh there you are!" What a fun ducky game! Soon my ducks were diving too. Are ducks copy...uh...ducks?
I figured the little fella would fill his belly then fly off but he was still hanging out with Murphy and the gang when I got up this afternoon! I took these pictures before I headed out to gather eggs.
I wonder if the little Scaup is a braggart, being a well-traveled duck and all.
"Oh this is nothin'! You shoulda seen the weather in Michigan last winter!"
"The last place I was at had a fountain in the pond. Yeah, we had valet parking too. They put mints on my pillow."
I hope my ducks were well mannered and shared their corn with the little duck.
After my whining about egg production yesterday I found this big double-yolker in one of the nests. None of the girls will fess up and they're giving me the "stinky eye". Now, there were only three eggs to collect but there were a few Australorp girls still sitting on nests.
I've got some pine shavings from my father-in-law's workshop that I'm going to use to replace the straw in half the nest boxes. I want to see if the girls prefer one material over the other. The straw is a pain for me because they scratch it out of the nest boxes and I have to pick it back up. Hopefully the wood shavings won't be so easy to scratch out. If they like it I'll do away with using straw as nesting material.
I came home this morning from work to see this adorable little Lesser Scaup in the pond. As soon as he landed my ducks were on him like...well...ducks on a June bug. Anyway, Jim and I sat and watched their antics out the window. The Scaup is a diver and he would *shloooop* dive down to feed off the bottom where my chubby dabblers can't reach. As soon as he disappeared from sight my ducks swarmed the area where they'd just seen him and look for him! They looked confused and bewildered, "Where'd he go?" And when the Scaup resurfaced they all rushed him, "Oh there you are!" What a fun ducky game! Soon my ducks were diving too. Are ducks copy...uh...ducks?
I figured the little fella would fill his belly then fly off but he was still hanging out with Murphy and the gang when I got up this afternoon! I took these pictures before I headed out to gather eggs.
I wonder if the little Scaup is a braggart, being a well-traveled duck and all.
"Oh this is nothin'! You shoulda seen the weather in Michigan last winter!"
"The last place I was at had a fountain in the pond. Yeah, we had valet parking too. They put mints on my pillow."
I hope my ducks were well mannered and shared their corn with the little duck.
After my whining about egg production yesterday I found this big double-yolker in one of the nests. None of the girls will fess up and they're giving me the "stinky eye". Now, there were only three eggs to collect but there were a few Australorp girls still sitting on nests.
I've got some pine shavings from my father-in-law's workshop that I'm going to use to replace the straw in half the nest boxes. I want to see if the girls prefer one material over the other. The straw is a pain for me because they scratch it out of the nest boxes and I have to pick it back up. Hopefully the wood shavings won't be so easy to scratch out. If they like it I'll do away with using straw as nesting material.
Whoa! That's one cute little Scaup. I've never heard of them before. Where do they typically call home and do they migrate?
ReplyDeleteI think it's awesome that you have your own pond and pretty ducks to live there.
And what a funny gal you are thinking that the Scaup might be a braggart. That idea just tickles me! lol!
I'm really wondering about that monstrous egg, though. Have you already cracked it? Are you sure it's only a double-yolker?
We had many double yolkers and even a few triple yolkers when my hens started laying, so I've seen quite a few of those humdinger eggs.
Yours looks like a triple yolker to me, though :D
Enjoy that delicious omelet!
~Lisa
New Mexico
Are you sure that's not a "Rubber Duckie"? :) I looked him up in my bird book and what a handsome fella! Hope he makes himself at home in your pond.
ReplyDeleteSo, was it a triple-yolker? It sure looks big enough to be one. I got a double yesterday. Been getting one about once a week.
I've been using shavings in my nest boxes and they don't seem to scratch it out too much. It kind of gets flattened down though, so I fluff it up once a day. I'd like to get a bale of hay. I think it might be warmer, plus it would smell really good.
Lisa, We have Scaup visitors in the spring and late fall. They are on their way to their winter grounds now and they stop by for a day or two then they're on their way. We love seeing wild waterfowl use the pond...it gives us a good feeling to know we helped them on their way with a good meal and a bath!
ReplyDeleteAs for the egg, it's only the third "monster" egg I've gotten so far. I'm going to use it to make dinner tonight, then I'll know for sure how many yolks are in it.
Susan, you'd think it was a little rubber duckie, he's easily less than half the size of my big porkers.
See above note for the egg results.
The girls didn't like the shavings and laid their eggs in the nests with straw. I put golf balls in the nests with shavings. Perhaps their little bird brains need a nudge!
Oh my goodness- that hen's rump must be really sore!! If you see one sitting on a sitz bath, you'll know you've found the layer!! LOL
ReplyDeleteAmy, we had a male and female wild duck that stayed around here long enough to hatch out some eggs this summer. They seemed right at home with our domesticated ducks. Let us know how the wood chips go. BTW, nice egg. hehe!!
ReplyDeleteChris
*UPDATE* The big egg was a double yolker!
ReplyDeletePaula, I wish I had been able to figure out which one laid it. I worry about them laying such large eggs sometimes. It must be painful!
Chris, I'm hoping the golf balls will do the trick and they'll start using the nests with the pine shavings. Chickens aren't very fond of changes in their routine, much like me. Update will follow soon.
I love it when we have visitors on our pond. We have wood ducks show up now and then and I love looking at their beautiful feathers!
ReplyDeleteIt's so exciting to find one of those huge eggs and fun to cook up a double yolker....I do feel bad for the hen that had to lay it though!