OMGOSH, how neat is that?!?!    My first thought was baby ducklings would be AWEsome, but maybe b@s had a point about them eating the fish.    That picture makes me miss our pond in FL.     Our next door neighbors have a very large one, but with an 8' high fence, I can't see it unless I walk around to the back of their fence.    OR peep through the boards, but I can barely see through there.   

I kept seeing a rabbit in the back yard a few weeks ago every time I looked out.    And it didn't run away out of the yard when I'd go out there so I just KNEW there was a nest somewhere.    I looked around, but didn't go poking the ground because I was afraid I'd disturb things.   Well, I found the empty nest the other day.   Shoot!    I would have LOVED to watch the baby rabbits.    Baby anythings are the bestest!    :-)    

The only animals out in the yard this week are Sophie and Simon.   Sophie is in complete LOVE with it out there.   We only let them out when we're out there to make sure they don't get any further, but it worries me because Terry isn't as observant (it's like worrying about men's attention span with kids lol) as I am.   I went out there awhile ago and both of the boards we put up on two of the gates were down so either cat could have escaped underneath one.   We will have NO peace, however, if we try and keep Sophie in here.   She soooooo loves it out there.    Simon likes it for about five minutes and Coco won't even go out there.  

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As amazed as I was at seeing those ducks I kept muttering,

hey, what happened to the rest of this....oh, I used quotes. I'll try again.....As amazed as I was at seeing those ducks I kept muttering, *better leave my fish alone*. I've been wondering if we'd ever ducks at the pond...we've had the pond for 8 or 9 years and this was the first time for ducks. We've had frogs from the first year and some of the fish are from the first year...feeder fish from Wal-Mart. From what I remember of pictures of your Florida pond it looked a lot like mine...same stones, I think. Sophie and outside...maybe it's an age thing that she likes it and the others don't. :)Tori

Yeah, same stones. I really miss it, but it was a pain for Terry. I think if he didn't have the pool to worrry with, he'd be building another one. We had frogs a few times in the pool last year, but they got into the trap thingey and died. :-( Gail

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Posted by: SuzyB
Date posted: Mon May 5 13:12:47 2008
Message:
Oh, how sweet is that!!!

I haven't seen anything unusual in my backyard lately but I will share this story. It was probably more than 10 years ago but I'll never forget it. One morning I just happened to look out my bedroom window and I saw a turtle. She was digging so I watched her for a while. I had never seen a turtle do that, I thought that in a few minutes she would stop and wander away. But she didn't. That turtle dug and dug and dug for hours without stopping. I kept checking on her frequently thru out the day. Those little arms just digging away! It must have been 5 to 6 hours of digging.

Finally, she stopped digging and then she sat down over the top of the hole and she was there for a long while. Just before dark she began using her little arms again to move the dirt back on top of the hole. It got dark and I couldn't see anymore but I looked out first thing the next morning. The turtle was gone. I checked that little mound of dirt for weeks afterwards but never saw her or any baby turtles. Eventually the grass grew back over that little hole that she worked so diligently to dig. I felt like an honored guest, being able to watch such a special event.

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that must have been interesting watching that turtle...I'm trying to imagine those little arms doing all that digging. One year we had a turtle stop by the pond but it didn't stay. :)Tori

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Posted by: Grandma b@s
Date posted: Mon May 5 12:56:23 2008
Message:
2 ducks is OK but you really DON'T want them nesting there and/or bringing their friends.  they were just talking about this on the radio the other day.  Someone had ducks come up and they fed them.  Suddenly there were LOTS of ducks and they made a terrible mess.  (I also saw on some video/news show a house where ducks suddenly came flocking every year...)  When you first see them, you think how cute they are, then you see the MESS they make and they get not so cute.  And if you have fish in that pond, well, you might not for long. 

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As cute as ducklings might be, I wouldn't want the mess...the two left a bit of a mess behind. And, the thought of them dining on my fish was not a happy thought. :)Tori

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Posted by: Ulalume
Date posted: Mon May 5 12:17:50 2008
Message:
I live in a condo complex that is bounded by a community par, and an Illinois wildlife refuge. There is a goose nesting within the fenced area of our swimming pool and geese honking from the rooftops. There are three rabbits, ground squirrels, a pair of ducks that have insomnia because I've seen them strolling through at 10 pm., racoons and skunks that feast at the dumpsters, possums that climb the trees and--worrying about all these critters--there is a coyote that comes over occasionally and hangs by the entranceway.

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Lost the 'k' to 'park' (not 'par). Your duckies may be checking out the area to see if they want to nest by you!/U

That's what I was thinking U! It would be so neat to have them nest there and then have their cute little ducklings waddling around. :-) eom mags

I think you've got a good deal...the fun of watching the wildlife yet being close to all the city things. Is that wildlife refuge in the north burbs or I'm I thinking of something else? I think it is amazing to be driving in the metro Chicago area and seeing the refuge smack in the middle of it....nice. :)Tori

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Posted by: mags
Date posted: Mon May 5 12:16:19 2008
Message:

 

I love your ducks!  I really like taking pictures of birds.  I've tried to catch birds in flight but I always miss them!  (Sorry my pics are soooo big ... I don't know how to make them smaller.)

Here are a few visitors that we had....the Ugly Duck was in Florida.  Poor things ...  they have the ugliest heads but the most beautiful iridescent feathers I've ever seen.

 

These two wandered into out yard.  Like you, I ran for the camera and got the shot in just before a barking dog scared them off.

 

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Those are great pictures mags. .......... suzyb

great pics....I love the feathers on that duck...serene coloring and they look like tissue paper. I've been trying to capture the beautiful pair of Cardinals that reside in our yard but when I open the door or lift the window screen to take the pic they fly away. how lucky you were able to get a pic of those deer. Jeff was painting the fascia on the house today and somehow really ticked off a bird....they must have been nesting near where he was painting. That bird squawked at him all day. :)Tori

Birds are hard to photograph. They spook too easily! I took some pictures of the yellow finches that feed at the thistle feeder Tom has hanging right outside the door. I opened the door because I knew it would look better. They birds flew away. They came right back but them I had to take the pictures through the screen. They came out alright but not great. And trying to get them in flight it almost impossible. There are geese at the lake. You have to lead with your camera just like you would a shotgun. So far, I haven't gotten a picture of one flying by. It's frustrating! Did the ducks come back to the pond?? eom mags

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