High drama on the pond and more…!

May 16, 2018

I am spoilt for choice regarding topics for this blog… The National conversation is always the weather. Our conversation at Headley Court frequently involves the antics of our feathered flock.

So let’s start with the weather. This last two months have been sometimes tropical and other times Baltic! Sun cream last week, thermals this week. No wonder our plants and seedlings are not doing so well. The sun comes out unexpectedly over a weekend and they get frazzled. So weekend watering duty is put in place, we open all the vents and leave all the doors open. New watering routines and plants perk up. They get photosynthesising and put on gorgeous new green growth. At last, get out the sunhats, shade our eyes from the brightness of the sun, cast off layers, apply Factor 50 and drink lots of tea. All will be well, roll on Summer.

Our feathered friends are as amusing as ever. The new must-be spot to lay your eggs is under the ladder to get into the lovely henhouse. Even in the driving rain and wind the preferred place is outdoors in a makeshift nest. They were very sneaky about it and it took us a few days to work out just what was going on. I suppose the give-away was the orderly formed queue of hens waiting for a turn to lay!

We also have two broody bantams who refuse to leave the nest box and every day we lift them out to ensure they have a quick drink and some food. The squawking and indignation is very funny. Hopefully, they will soon get over this maternal phase.

We also experienced high drama down on the pond. I arrived and carried out my usual inspection and noticed many little ducklings that had only just hatched on the pond and no mother. I alerted the Top Corridor and hoped for the best. At lunchtime the Wildlife Aid Foundation volunteers arrived and soon realised they needed a boat! Sure enough the rowing boat arrives and in it goes. Our pond has a central island and I would like you to picture a man rowing as fast as possible going round and round the island chasing the 8 ducklings. There was a change of tactic after a while. A second person with a net was ferried onto the island and the boatman tried to usher the ducklings towards him. After a few false starts all ducklings were safely captured and taken to a lovely warm incubator. The event attracted many visitors from all over the unit!

Never a dull moment!!

Until next time.

Carol

Volunteers from the Wildlife Aid Foundation

Chasing ducklings

Broody bantams

Duckings safe and well

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