Sunday in the Park

And a picture of our one surviving duckling from Mocha's brood (some predator got in the pen last friday night :( she is fine, but all but one of the ducklings are gone) We are glad to have this one. She (I say with faith:) is taming down nicely and after a couple days to make sure she had no hidden injuries we put her in with Ducky. I'm happy to say they get along very nicely (Ducky is four times her size and we were afraid he'd bully her) and spend most of their time cuddling on top of the stuffed cow, lol...

Mocha's Babies

Meadow was very curious as soon as we could hear the ducklings cheeping under the steps and kept sticking her head under :D

Mama and one-day-old ducklings. She is NOT happy with us for caging her.Week-old cuties. Ducklings are so adorable :)

Here she is looking for a way out of her new pen. Poor mama, doesn't realize we are trying to keep her babies safe.

She can fly out the one uncovered corner of the pen, which she does occasionally. But, of course, she always comes back to her babies before long. She is very protective, she makes a sort of honking sound very unlike her usual soft chirp if you get too close. Once when I grabbed one of her babies to move them out of the cage she came at me hissing and stomping her feet.

Promised Pics of Chicks :)

And kid pics :D
Jubilee loved the chickies

That's a funny place for a nap!

He said he just needed a peg-leg and an eye-patch to complete the pirate look :)

Joshua obligingly held one of the wyandottes so I could get a picture

Ducky taking a nap on the cow--- "Ducky's cow" explained Matt ;-)

Our first home-hatched chick this year (the yellow one) I put the littlest wyandotte in with him for company. When I tried to put him in with the wyandottes it was an 8-against-1 peck fest, sheesh.

This little guy was our second hatch, but when he came out of the egg he stayed curled in same shape and couldn't seem to lift his head. He laid there thrashing his legs like crazy. We spent the morning taking turns holding him so he wouldn't damage his eyes with his claws. He can sit up now but still not move much. I'll give him another day or so to gather his strength and see if it looks like he can make it on his own.

I guess none of these pics relays the reality of 16 baby birds in the house, but you get the idea :)

Spring Photos

New buddies for our duckling...

And new digs for everybody

Such a handsome boy! :) Not that I'm biased or anything...

More Duckling Cuteness

Happiest sitting next to "mama" Although, we seem to think every human is mama and will run toward whoever is talking or moving, much to the boy's amusement. We also run so fast we go sliding or flip over on our back :)
Having a little nap

Another nap...

Proud duckie mama

The Thing I Forgot About Ducklings...

No, I didn't forget how unbearably cute they are!
I didn't forget that, being waterfowl, they imprint on the first living thing they interact with. Which means that when humans take them out of the incubator and talk to them before putting them in their cozy box with a heat lamp and a stuffed animal for company, well, I'm sure you get the idea.

I definitely didn't forget that baby birds Yell. all. the. time.

When you are outside trying to survive it is absolutely essential that Mama is in your sight at all times. And that you stick very close to her...

Ducklings will follow humans around when they imprint on them. Obviously. Speaking of unbearably cute. Try a string of ducklings scrambling after you wherever you go!

Here's the thing I forgot about ducklings...

Specifically ducklings in a box...

They fling themselves repeatedly and determinedly against the side of the box as soon as you walk away!

At least they get a lot of exercise.

And sometimes provide a little comic relief...

"I've fallen and I can't get up!"

Pics of Our Duckling

and of a pleased little boy, complete with 'camera smile'...

He was talking to his Papa on the phone and Nate asked him what he was doing. He said, "I'm watching our duckling hatch. I brought it back to life."

That's right baby. That's the authority we walk in as representatives of Jesus on the earth. :)