Just ducky

When I began my garden, I dreamed of all the things it would have: paths and perennials, wildflowers, water, fences, gates, a shed and somewhere to sit. What I never gave a moment's thought to were all the things that turn a garden into a living landscape: the bugs, bees, birds, butterflies and critters whose comings and goings I now watch with as much enthusiasm as I regard any of my plants. From Kingfisher to Cooper's hawk and turkey to fox, the garden has hosted an amazing parade of creatures in the years since we started planting.

 

But the real stars of our garden are Fred and Ethel, a pair of mallard ducks. They flew in about 6:00 p.m. on March 19, a full week earlier than their arrival in 2008; and the earliest arrival date since 2004. They are my one consistent attempt at keeping phenological records. 

 

These ducks are the true harbingers of spring in the garden. I look forward to seeing them even more than the first snowdrop or robin. And this year marks the twelfth year that they've made the garden a sort of pied-a-terre from March to the Fourth of July.

 

They zoom in and out — alone and together — numerous times each day. At this season, when the garden is more brown than green, the two of them easily blend into the plants that edge the pond where they can often be found napping on a warm rock.

 

One of the most familiar of ducks, the mallard is found throughout North America, with a heavy concentration in the prairie states and the Mississippi River flyway. But even in areas where they are not native, they can often be seen near the ponds of most urban parks. That includes a large park at the end of our street, which is where I suspect our ducks spend their time away from us. It seems like a logical conclusion, since mallards typically nest in a location that affords several ponds within about a square mile.

 

Ethel has only brought ducklings to our pond twice; her nest has always been located elsewhere. In the spring of 2007 she spent the better part of a day with the ducklings splashing around in our pond. When she decided that everyone had had enough, she marched out of the garden with the little ones trailing behind.

 

I panicked when the gang headed toward the busy street where our house is located, first cutting across a couple of front lawns. Though Ethel kept the ducklings close to the curb, it was disconcerting to watch their progress toward a dangerously busy intersection.

 

My first thought was to run interference until I came to my senses. I realized that urban ducks, Ethel included, have been making these kinds of treks with their ducklings for a long time. My presence was more likely to cause a problem than solve one.

 

So I turned around and went back to the garden — which seemed rather quiet and lonely. I kept an ear open for the squeal of brakes but never heard them. When Ethel next returned, she was alone. She never brought the ducklings back for another dip, so I can only guess how they fared.

 

Watching Fred and Ethel, I often behave like a kid with a science project: tracking their arrival date, reading up on mallard behavior, making notes and taking photos. But most of the time I'm content to sit and let the two of them provide free entertainment. 

Fred's taken to nibbling the outside of the windows abutting the deck. The first time he did that, it sounded like a bird had flown into the window. I looked out and didn't see anything until I glanced down.

 

There was Fred, hitting his bill against the outside of the window over and over again. Maybe he's eating dead bugs and detritus off the dirty windows, or perhaps paint chips. I can't decide what he's doing — or why. I just know that it's become a ritual he performs multiple times a day.

He looks like he's typing out a sentence as he pecks an invisible line. When he gets to the end, he starts over. Perhaps it's a message for me, watching him from the other side of the glass. He wants to remind me how bland the garden — and life — would be without him and Ethel and all their antics.

This essay appeared in a somewhat different form under my byline in The Capital Times.

To read about the experiences of other gardeners and the wild life in their gardens, check out Gardening Gone Wild.

Be sure to enter a comment HERE before midnight on March 30 to take part in Each Little World's give-away of Julie Moir Messervy's new book, "Home Outside."

Comments

[Pam/Digging]

Could he be seeing his reflection in the glass and attacking it territorially? I've seen a male cardinal do that with a mirror in the garden.

I love your duck tale. How do you know it's the same mallard pair every year? And I admire your restraint in not playing the whistle-blowing policeman when Mrs. Mallard led her ducks along the road. I'm not sure I could have let nature take its course without intervening, although you're probably right that it was for the best. It does sound as if she made it without incident.

The pics of the ducks are great. Is there anything cuter than a fuzzy duckling? And even the grown-ups are so quizzically adorable.

[ryan]

An absolutely stunning post! The photography is wonderful!!

Much loved!

[Just a Plane Ride Away]

Oh my, this is enchanting! It must be wonderful to see your old friends year after year. And lovely photographs!

[Lisa at Greeenbow]

It just goes to show that you have a healthy garden Linda. What fun watching Mallards coming and going. Their legs and feet are about as orange as your Koi.

The Mr is probably pecking at himself. Like Robins and Cardinals do during the mating season. Their hormones tell them to protect their territory from all others. They don't realize that it is their own reflection.

We used to have a pair stroll through our garden every spring. Now we have a fence, to keep the dog in, and the city covered the open ditch that ran by our house, so the mallards go to the retention pond across the street. It is still fun to see them strolling about the area.

[Les]

What stunning photos of what I previously thought of as a very pedestrian bird. This is a wonderful story I like to think that Fred was sending you a message of thanks for the use of the pond.

[Blossom]

Lovely! I love those ducklings. Soooo cute!

[Tatyana]

Wonderful story and beautiful pictures! Thank you!

[LINDA from EACH LITTLE WORLD]

Thanks, all, for the nice comments! I did a lot of reading and searching for info on mallards and still don't really know too much about them. But it had not occurred to me that Fred was doing the territorial thing. I think you are right on that Lisa and Pam, as he goes ballistic if another male shows up in the pond (which sometimes happens).

Without banding them, and then checking each spring, there is no real way of knowing if it's the same pair. We like to think it is, given we only ever have one pair and there are lots of ducks nearby but we never have a flock. Luckily we don't get Canada geese (an urban problem here) as their size would be out of scale with our garden!

[Susan Elliott]

Just wanted you to know that I absolutely adore reading your blog. It's a delightful read from beginning to end. Susan

[Kate]

Love the duck photos!

[LINDA from EACH LITTLE WORLD]

Susan — thanks for those kind words.

And Kate, your blog is just filled with great stories. Can't believe the one about the Bills. People here still remember when the Milwaukee Braves moved to Atlanta. It was like the Dodgers leaving Brooklyn. Those teams are iconic and losing them is as much about the psychological result as financial.

[Frances]

Hi Linda, this was just the best ever! Thanks so much for sharing it on your blog. The photos are superb and the narrative riveting. The photos of the babies are so sweet, Fred at the window hilarious, but Ethel on the rock with the goldfish in the background is pure art!
Frances

[Lona]

What a wonderful posting. The pictures of the ducklings made me go Ahhh. They are so cute.
Maybe he sees himself and wants to warn the other male duck away.

[LINDA from EACH LITTLE WORLD]

Babies and puppies and ducks! Fred and Ethel and the fish are really our surrogate children so we are glad that everyone appreciates them as much as we do.

[Mr. McGregor's Daughter]

How great to be able to enjoy ducks up close. I get to see ducks in the pond behind my garden, but only from a distance. Your shots of the ducklings are just adorable. That drake is just too funny, knocking on the door. Maybe he's looking for a handout.

[LINDA from EACH LITTLE WORLD]

We've only seen ducklings twice in 12 years but at least the last time we had a good camera to capture the moment.

[Nicola]

Fabulous photos. My daughters loved the ducklings!

[Nan Ondra]

What a great story, Linda! You and your "urban ducks" - too funny. I can imagine it would be very difficult to watch them waddling across the busy streets. Thanks so much for sharing this post for the GGW Design Workshop this month.

[LINDA from EACH LITTLE WORLD]

It snowed again here on Saturday and the ducks had a rather hard landing this morning on a semi-frozen, slushy pond!

[Inkslinger]

This was such a wonderful post (story and pictures. I've never had mallards in the backyard so am desperately envious and now have even more incentive to attempt a healthy, lovely garden space complete with water feature (if only to attract some ducks!).

[LINDA from EACH LITTLE WORLD]

The ducks are one of our greatest pleasures and something that we didn't really plan for — birds, bees, frogs; yes! Ducks, just luck!

[kerri]

Linda, I'm so glad I found this post!
Ethel and Fred are adorable, and those ducklings are precious. I loved reading your story, and the photos are delightful. Yes, the wildlife in the garden makes it a truly magical place. Thanks so much for sharing your joy.

[garden design sydney]

Garden landscapers these days have to be more than just garden builders and planters. Generally, people are demanding more and more from their garden landscapers. Requests such as installing a garden pond, water feature or water fountain are fast outstripping the more conventional garden makeovers. Garden makeover makes our home complete.