A pair of wood ducks have been getting very relaxed about the place lately, even coming up to clean up the horse feed in the shed on Christmas Day morning. The dogs weren't bothered about them, didn't even think they were worth a bark! Maybe it's the same pair who walked up from the dam to the front of the house to regularly check out the 'wild bird seed' earlier in the year, or this time last year. I don't know much about the natural longevity of wood ducks, but this pair were very "cool" about everything.
Then I noticed that one duck was sitting on the edge of the dam by itself for a couple of days this week. I went down to see if he was OK and found he was sitting by his dead mate!! Very sad!
I wonder if the horses had knocked the duck? It wasn't a fox, or it wouldn't have still been intact, and I couldn't see any obvious cause.
His/her partner is still hanging about; I wonder if ducks pair for life? Another couple flew in to keep him company but he won't leave with them. Three's a crowd??
There have been up to 20 pairs, with chicks, on the dam at some times, but at the moment there's just this loner and his visitors.
A couple of plovers came to check him out yesterday...or maybe they'll tidy up/scavenge his mate!?
No comments:
Post a Comment