June06

A NEW BEGINNING

Friday, 2nd

Having signed off from these duck diaries in such despondent and dramatic fashion on 13th May I feel very sheepish starting up again. After the last of our ducks hatched a year ago had been taken by a fox I felt so low - was also suffering from something like a nasty summer 'flu - that I felt unable to carry on, convinced that the remaining 5 would be picked off one by one, just like last year.

And sure enough, 2 days later just gone 10 in the morning, John jumped up suddenly from his coffee - he'd seen something in the garden. Next I saw him running helter skelter towards the duck pond shouting "hurry, hurry!" The 4 drakes and the duck had become separated, all running wings flapping towards the pond and safety, 2 drakes got caught in vegetable netting, but they all made it safely to the duck pond. I couldn't see it, but a big, fully grown fox had come half way up the garden and was pursuing the drakes. If he hadn't spotted it we would have been down another or all of them. I had thought they would come back after 2 days - a meal of duck seems to last them that long.

I must admit I caved in and gave up all hope. It was John who put the last 5 into the old chicken enclosure to keep them safe near the house, put them in at night and let them out in the mornings, fed and watered them.

Then I started to feel better, especially after taking herbal pillules recommended by Mel, and started to take an interest again in my feathered friends ......................................... and was shocked to see what a bad state Fanny was in, bleeding from bald patches on the back of her head and neck and limping badly. I really should have acted sooner knowing what damage the drakes can do. I still am extremely angry with myself for not taking better care of my charges.

I separated them straight away leaving Fanny by herself in the enclosure

(pheasants raiding the food containers as usual) and the boys running from one gate to the other trying to get in to her. We had the boys sleeping in the garage - which in its first conception was a dairy and ice cream factory - in a small concrete enclosure that was used as a pig sty by the previous owners.

So far so good, but it couldn't go on like that forever.