Came across this little fella (I say that, I have no idea if this is a male or female) on the weekend, on top of a bridge, nesting on a planter amongst the flowers. Pretty sure there must be eggs being looked after as there was a different duck doing their bit when I arrived, and this chap had taken over when I left.
Gardens and wildlife
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Ducks do nest in funny places sometimes! I think it's a she by the colouring, but I'm no expert. The ducks round here are brown like that if female and more colourful necks if male (blue/green colour).
Elusive or Coco maybe knows more about ducks
Elusive or Coco maybe knows more about ducks
Thanks Maz. That would make sense, I must have it the wrong way around. The duck taking the first watch was more colourful with a blue / green neck, so that was presumably the male. They were very funny, strange to see them up there with so many people walking around but they seemed happy enough
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The Robin Cafe is still open for business but there has been a dip in trade.
Yesterday morning I saw all 4 of the family in one visit. One juvenile was eating with the adults on the patio but happy to be fed if the parents could stop eating themselves for a moment. The other preferred to be fed but some tough love seemed to be going on. It fed itself if ignored but was usually helped in the end. One juvenile still stayed on by itself and once came alone adopting the parents method of asking for food.
Then the weather closed down becoming colder and very wet. Then more rain all night long.
Today it was a wet and cold morning but one adult came. Now the clouds have cleared to blue sky. Both adults appeared at once but I haven’t seen a young one. They both were without red breast feathers although I thought one was showing signs of a red tinge. If they were booted out of the home this morning then it was a hard morning to choose. Luckily the weather forecast is good and I will continue to keep a look out. I don’t know how long the parents would tolerate them feeding on their territory.
Yesterday morning I saw all 4 of the family in one visit. One juvenile was eating with the adults on the patio but happy to be fed if the parents could stop eating themselves for a moment. The other preferred to be fed but some tough love seemed to be going on. It fed itself if ignored but was usually helped in the end. One juvenile still stayed on by itself and once came alone adopting the parents method of asking for food.
Then the weather closed down becoming colder and very wet. Then more rain all night long.
Today it was a wet and cold morning but one adult came. Now the clouds have cleared to blue sky. Both adults appeared at once but I haven’t seen a young one. They both were without red breast feathers although I thought one was showing signs of a red tinge. If they were booted out of the home this morning then it was a hard morning to choose. Luckily the weather forecast is good and I will continue to keep a look out. I don’t know how long the parents would tolerate them feeding on their territory.
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It sounds as though they’re too young to have been completely left to get on alone by the parents, they usually feed them or help them with some food for quite a while but they also sound old enough to cope with the bad weather so hopefully you’ll be seeing them again.
Even when they’re old enough to fend for themselves but don’t yet have adult plumage the adults usually tolerate them being around ok.
Even when they’re old enough to fend for themselves but don’t yet have adult plumage the adults usually tolerate them being around ok.