This duckling is flying from one feeder to the other, while three siblings look on. The nails sticking up from the feeder are courtesy of a flock of Corella, who chewed away the wooden perches. Time to attach some new ones, I think. I would hate the ducklings to get caught on them after all of this.
If you have been following the story of the eight ducklings being raised by one male duck, following the disappearance of the female, you’ll be happy to know they are now flying! Two popular flight destinations are the bird feeders and the dam.
Their father is still very vigilant. Today I saw him chase away another Australian Wood Duck which was just trying to feed beneath the bird feeders, and last week he was standing guard, wide awake, while the eight ducklings had a mid-day sleep in the shade of a tree. He stood with his back to the tree trunk, so nothing could sneak up on him from behind, standing bolt upright, constantly scanning the ground to make sure his charges were safe. It makes me wonder when he has time to sleep or eat.
The ducklings are still slightly smaller than an adult bird, and still have some of their juvenile feathers. See the captions beneath the photographs for more information.
Enjoy the photographs.
A close-up of the male duck which has been raising the eight ducklings. This is adult male plumage. Note the dark mane on the back of his (Darker) brown head, the lack of a stripe over the eye, and darker feathers on his tail, to name just a few points of difference. The ducklings still have their juvenile strip over the eye and light brown heads. Adult females retain the stripe and a lighter colour on the head. Six of the eight ducklings crowd onto the second bird feeder with two more beneath it on the ground.Something triggered all nine birds to fly away, and they head straight for the safety of the dam.The first few times they landed on the water, the ducklings were radically adjusting their height and speed at the last-minute, with some ‘interesting’ moments. Now, however, they are quite expert at landing in unison – well, almost.
6 thoughts on “Eight Ducklings Are Flying Now (5 Photos)”
We are glad that the team is surviving and making progress. It is a wonderful story of survival, team work, vigilance, and love. Love coming from the father and from the writer/photographer. Bravo, Lisa! 🙂
Thanks Fabio – and yes, I do love these ducks. A great story of resilience, I think. Also, they are such beautiful birds. I enjoy seeing them each day, and misss them if they decide not to visit (which is rare). I don’t feed them, but they have taken to the parrot seed which I leave for the Cockatoos, Crimson Rosellas, Galah’s and occasional other birds which graze on these seeds. Unlike the other birds, mostly the ducks are happy to share. Have a good week, and if you are celebrating in this festive season, have a wonderful day. Lisa
Fifteen Acres 
We are glad that the team is surviving and making progress. It is a wonderful story of survival, team work, vigilance, and love. Love coming from the father and from the writer/photographer. Bravo, Lisa! 🙂
Thanks Fabio – and yes, I do love these ducks. A great story of resilience, I think. Also, they are such beautiful birds. I enjoy seeing them each day, and misss them if they decide not to visit (which is rare). I don’t feed them, but they have taken to the parrot seed which I leave for the Cockatoos, Crimson Rosellas, Galah’s and occasional other birds which graze on these seeds. Unlike the other birds, mostly the ducks are happy to share. Have a good week, and if you are celebrating in this festive season, have a wonderful day. Lisa
Great story! Love the pictures 🙂
Thanks Margaret, 🙂