An ‘Aaah!’ moment.

Wildlife has had a tough time getting going this year.  Bluebells late, lilac late, bird migrants late – where are our swifts, diving and swooping in the evening skies, gorging on feasts of flies before night sets in?

At last though, mallard ducklings have appeared on the village pond.  There seem to be three families: tiny ducklings; some a few days bigger; and one lot who could be described as teenagers.  Apart from having little in the way of wings yet, they look pretty grown up. We idled away part of the afternoon the other day, just watching them scuttle and swim.

It’s as well they breed so prolifically, those ducks.  The babies have little chance of making it to adulthood.  The resident goose doesn’t like them.  Jealous drakes don’t like babies who aren’t their own.  Foxes like them alright, but as a snack.  And then there’s the road, though drivers try hard to avoid these creatures, who simply haven’t learnt their Green Cross Code.  My favourite sight from last year was seeing a mighty dustbin lorry shudder to a halt, and wait while Mrs. Mallard led her brood of seven efficiently across the busy road.

At last, spring is here.

Author: margaret21

I'm retired and living in North Yorkshire, where I walk as often as I can, write, volunteer, and travel as often as I can.

20 thoughts on “An ‘Aaah!’ moment.”

  1. Oh they are lovely and great photos. I never got the ‘Ugly Duckling’ thing, do you think Danish ducklings are perhaps ugly whereas British ones just aren’t!!! 😉

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  6. Sweet, short lives. Once when our two young daughters were getting upset about the mortality rate of ducklings on our local beck in York I worked out the numbers should all the ducklings on that patch survive and breed for ten years. I forget the calculations now but imagining the riverside field knee deep in ducklings cheered up two children for a while!

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    1. Our swift’s still haven’t arrived. They may be stuck in France. You seem to be ok, but friends from the Ariège tell me the weather is rotten there

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  8. I should think that you are enjoying the lovely spring sunshine as much as the ducks and sweet ducklings appear to be doing? All the more so after your long, muddy and rather torrid winter.

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    1. We’re enjoying spring as and when we can. The weather is wholly unpredictable still. When it’s good, it’s very very good. And when it’s bad (often on the same day as the good stuff) it’s horrid. Poor wildlife! The swifts, who should be nesting by now, still haven’t arrived, and martins and swallows are in short supply.

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      1. Glad you get some good days or hours to enjoy the spring. The weather extremes and unpredictability worldwide must be causing havoc and distress for so many creatures, sadly. So sorry to hear about the swallows and swifts. Their long migrations are hectic enough without unpredictable circumstances disrupting their homecomings.

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  9. Two long phone calls later (both our mothers….) it’s not going to happen that heart-to-heart talk…. another time, love!
    Beautiful post this 🙂

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