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| Katie (L) and Toughie (R) monitoring the ducks. |
Earlier this month I awoke to raucous barking. Steve had gotten up earlier than me and let the dogs out and now they were clearly unhappy. I did a double take when I saw the reason why: a male and female mallard were swimming in the water garden!
Last spring, they swam in our swimming pool, which kept the dogs running laps around it as they followed them from one end to the other. The swimming pool is still covered, however, so they chose the next best thing.
Katie and Toughie watched the ducks intently, barking when they swam too close to the fish. They did not understand that the ducks pose no threat to the fish.
Welcome back, ducks! But I hope they don't spend a lot of time on our property. Unfortunately, ducks defecating in the water have been known to be a source of high concentrations of
e.coli that has shut down swimming areas in local ponds. We don't want any bacterial issues in our pond or pool.
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| The ducks swim contentedly, ignoring the dogs. |
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| I got too close with the camera and they took off.... |
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| ... gracefully flying away. |
We don't know for certain that these are the same ducks that visited last year but they are not at all shy around the dogs, barking or not. They've been back twice to briefly swim laps in the pond. Mostly we see them flying over the meadow and we can hear them honking. We think they built their nest and reared their brood in the meadow last year, and suspect they are doing the same this spring as well.
So cute! However, I understand it may be a problem. You got some great shots. There is a lake nearby where swimming is forbidden. Lots of ducks and geese find a home there raising their young.
ReplyDeleteIt's a perennial problem in small ponds and even some modest lakes here. But they are so gloriously beautiful!
DeleteCathy and Steve, we had a similar experience in March when I awoke to find a pair of Mallards in the pond. I use the term pond loosely as its only about 7 x 5 They stayed around for ages, it was really funny. Didn't know about the health hazards.
ReplyDeleteAlistair, I don't believe that two ducks visiting briefly (a matter of hours) is an issue. Truthfully, when I have seen pond closures, it involved dozens of pairs of ducks who reside there, defecating frequently in the water. The problem escalates in the summer as I believe that the warm shallow water is an excellent breeding ground for the bacteria, but the ducks are the original source of it.
DeleteOur pond is protected with a black light system that treats the water with ozone to kill bacteria, so my guess is a small amount of bacteria is not going to pose a problem. Likewise with our pool, which is treated with an automatic chlorinator plus regular, weekly testing and cleaning.
But I would not keep ducks or geese here because of the issue with the e.coli, which regrettably makes them not the best backyard pet.
I love the photograph of the ducks in flight upon being startled! It's beautiful!
ReplyDeleteThank you! I wanted to get closer to get better pictures of the markings on their wings. <> they've dropped in for a quick swim a couple more times since I took these pictures, but both times, Toughie let them know he'd prefer they didn't linger and they didn't. It's for the best....
DeleteHi Cathy. I think that is wonderful that the pair of Mallards visited your waterfalls. Maybe they will return now and again for a visit. The male Mallards have such great colors in their feathers. I know it is for defense but it just doesn't seem right that the males have all these bright feathers. LOL!Have a lovely week.
ReplyDeleteI agree... let's hope the females are oblivious to the concept of being fashion forward LOL. Thanks for stopping by!
DeleteI love when the mallards visit for a bit...they never stay because our pond is too small...they are fun though as brief visitors.
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