What a difference. Exactly a year ago, on 13th April 2020, I spotted my first mallard ducklings of the year, with their unusually attentive father shepherding them around the village pond. This year, night temperatures are below freezing, and there are gusty winds most days. Despite the sunshine, I think we’ll have to wait a little longer to see this year’s first brood. Let’s plunder the archives for some memories.


Awww
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Indeed!
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😊
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Another awww! It was 22C here yesterday. Got a rough idea why I moved. 🙂 🙂
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To be fair Jo, I also like cold and crisp. Off our with Virtual Dog soon!
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I can cope with it too, Margaret, but I know you’re tired of me carping on about wishing I was there. 😦 😦 Soon it will be too hot! No pleasing some folk 🙂
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No, not tired of it at all Jo, because I remember those feelings well. They’re quite visceral and hard to deal with. Have a hug! (Virtual of course)
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Thanks, darlin! Just going to scoot the washing out (no, it’s not Monday 🙂 ) then walking again. Give that dog a stroke for me!
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😉
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What gorgeous little things, those ducklings. Thanks for the pictures.
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They’re so sweet. But sadly, they didn’t make it to adulthood. Not one.
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Oh, no! Why not? Foxes?
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Foxes. Geese. Traffic. Aggressive male mallards. You name it.
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Glad they are a bit behind these year, wouldn’t want these balls of fluff experiencing this April just yet!
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Exactly. There’s enough to worry about with those poor lambs, who will make an appearance on Square Near You, soon.
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ah but lambs bounce around enough to stay warm!!!
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Not when they’re trying to sleep 😦
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ah yes good point – hopefully they all lie together
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I think all our lambs are already chops… 😮
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How sweet. I have been looking out for ducklings or a nest, even, on my walks as there are a few ducks that have had mischief on their minds, but it’s cold here too and I can’t find anything. It’s a pity none of these fluff balls made it, despite Daddy duck looking so proud and protective.
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They produced three broods last year. Nada. But there are still plenty of ducks on the pond.
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Granddaughter Jasmine, now in North Liverpool and in her first house has a nestful of coots at the bottom of her garden which borders the canal! Daddy Coot is extremely brave seeing off all potential threats
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Excellent! We have a moorhen family here – or had last year. Doughty parents too! Greetings to Jasmine!
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Lovely photos and as I was looking at all the bundles of fluff I thought I wonder how many made it and then I read your reply to Susan. Oh dear, how disappointing and sad, tooth and claw and all that.
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It happens every year. Between predators, traffic and aggressive males who aren’t the fathers it’s a wonder that any make it to adulthood
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I tend to believe if someplace is warmer than normal, somewhere else is colder than normal. Too wet here, too dry there. Hoping you get to see your first mallard ducklings soon.
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I’m sure they’ll be along in a week or two.
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Beautiful photos. I used to look out for swans on the river in Ludlow and their family, you get quite attached.
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You do. But it doesn’t pay to as the death rate is so high 😦
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oh cute little things! 🙂
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Very appealing.
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Very cute, but it’s a hard life!
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And death… sadly …
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So cute!
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That’s what the predators think!
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🤣🤷♀️
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Oh what fun and bright photos 😀 😀
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Thanks. They’re always good value, ducklings.
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These are such cute photos! Are you on the right week? This week coming up is Birds with chicks. I love that you are week ahead. This week was birds you saw in the last two weeks. I took a week off so I can understand the confusion. Or am I confused? Anyway, I love these little babies! 🙂
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I AM confused! Having fallen off the notifications-of-new-posts-list I went back to your forward planning list and got it wrong. Typical! Consider this an entry for next week – you can see why I wanted to post on this particular day. And as it happens, I have no suitable entries for ‘birds I saw I the last few weeks’, even though I’ve seen some fabulous red kites
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It’s alright Margaret! As long as I know. Plus, when I post on Friday, go in to your post and ping it to the new post and update. That way when I do the Round Up next week, I don’t forget it. I’m having some memory issues at the moment. 🙂
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Memory issues … tell me about it. And I keep on being dropped as a follower of some of my favourite blogs. What IS WP up to?
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I don’t know. I lost a bunch of my photos in my media library. Frustrating! 🙂
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So sweet! I love to see baby birds. Sometimes we get to see the baby quail. They are so sweet, but hard to photograph!
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How lovely! No, we do have quail up on the moorlands, but I’ve never seen their chicks.
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These ducklings are so cute, Margaret. So sorry to hear they didn’t make it…
Hope the weather will be a bit warm for you soon.
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Actually, it’s a lovely day today. But no tiny ducklings yet – I went to check!
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Awwww – so cute. 🙂
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That’s what Mr. Fox thinks too.
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