My Muscovy Ducks Tale

Dan's New Digs!

2015-08-12T12:24:00.001-07:00

Please see Dan, about a month in - He has a new home and been thru a slight bought of "ick" which I have treated. I do have to get him a new plant. The one here is slowly dying away. I will get that tomorrow!

This plant was a bit too big anyway. But doing good!

Meet Dan The Fish

2015-07-27T12:55:00.001-07:00

I am the founder and site lead for my neighborhood on Nextdoor.com. Yesterday, a family in one of my surrounding neighborhoods posted a Beta fish and birds. FREE! I can't have birds. Long story. But I just got the fish. The family named him Gordo. I renamed him Dan after my buddy Dan Gibby. Please meet Dan.

So excited! I love his blue color. He even matches my decor! OMG!

Feeding Time

2015-06-24T09:47:00.001-07:00

Every day - 5:30 - If not before, time to feed the ducks! They are adorable!

Egg Attack -

2015-06-12T10:52:00.002-07:00

There will be no photo here....I went over the vacant house to pull weeds off the patio and the nest has been attacked. 4 eggs partially eaten. Mert and Gert are fine - I guess that is the silver lining..... :(

Gert's Eggs

2015-06-11T11:43:00.001-07:00

Holy Crap! Look!

How Cool Is This Dog?

2015-06-08T08:18:00.002-07:00

A picture worth a thousand words................

Quacked!

2015-06-05T06:51:00.005-07:00

Pekin Ducks are VERY smart. They imprint on you or you do on them very quickly. Their hearing and vision is exceptional. When I'm out in my back yard in the evening, they can hear me (mostly because I'm out there with my Father who is quite deaf so I'm basically screaming) and they come looking for dinner. It is now branching out to anytime I come and go. I swear they know the sound of my car and my garage door opening! Gert's on the nest so maybe she needs to eat more often. She's always the ring leader..... I'm quacked!

Introducing: Lola Bon Jovi

2015-06-04T10:03:00.000-07:00

Two and a half years ago, I went to the vet's office to get my 3 sick cats their special food. On the wall was a flyer that said "LOLA NEEDS YOUR HELP" and it went on from there. Come to find out, Lola was my vet's Grandmother's dog (GiGi) who had to go into a nursing home. My vet (the AMAZING Dr. Formoso) took Lola in but her dog, Sasha, went insane! She was ruining Dr. Meg's house and attacking Lola and so Meg took her to her office where she sat in a kennel for 6 weeks. (Not the entire day - she was walked and played with) but at night, into the kennel she had to go. I don't know what came over me when I saw this flyer...I see them regularly when I go into the vet's office. But this time - I LOST it. The short of it - I have the distinct pleasure to introduce you to Lola......

Could use a brush!!! O_o

One More For Steve

2015-05-29T10:06:00.001-07:00

This photo is from last summer - I went out one morning and this poor little guy got stuck in the chain link fence. He was about three rungs up off the ground - tiny legs flipping around.....just frantic. Obviously, he was freed and went straight for the canal. Hope he found da Mama!

Ok, I will give ya'll a break on turtles for a bit! :) BTW, I have not seen Mama Soft Shell for a day and a half. Maybe all the eggs have been laid?

One Mean Mutha!

2015-05-28T08:45:00.004-07:00

This post is for you Steve K! I mentioned on FB that I have a problem with a Florida Soft Shell Turtle in my yard. It first surfaced last summer and I got it out of the yard. This year it has been here almost daily and has ripped my yard to frickin shreds. My yard looks like hammered sh*t in a sack!

This is not a nice turtle. Their teeth are gnarly. I would hate to be bitten by it. And, it is quite a sizable turtle. She has got to be over 24 inches across. (They are also known as pancake turtles because they are one of the flattest species).

In Memoriam - Zoe, Simon & Jack

2015-05-24T10:00:00.003-07:00

As mentioned during my "meet Mert & Gert post, there have been lots of goings on.

My three cats passed away. Zoe, Simon and Jack all succumbed to old age. Zoe passed 2 years ago March, Simon that May and Jack made it until the following February. Various illnesses from cancer to diabetes claimed them.

I miss them every day.

RIP Boyz~

WOW! It's Been A LOOOONG Time

2015-05-23T11:26:00.000-07:00

My gosh, I had no idea it has been this long since I have posted anything. So many animals have come and gone! To make a long story short, the reason I am back at this, DUCKS! ;) I had a friend who lived across the street. She adopted two Pekin Ducks, a male and a female. Mert & Gert. Well, she moved to Colorado. The new home owners were taking care of the ducks. They moved after a year. The realtor, a lovely woman named Karen and I have been taking care of feeding. She buys the food, and I do the physical work of feeding them. That is enough for now........but please meet Mert & Gert....

2012-05-01T12:18:00.001-07:00

Happy Birthday Peepers

2012-05-01T12:07:00.000-07:00

I accidently deleted a post showing Porsche on the nest. No matter - I have pictures....See below the post here for a pictorial of the last few days.

Things have been kinda crazy around here. MORE DUCKS! Well, not as many as I hoped. Here is the readers digest version for the last 3 days.

Horrible rain storms here-cold, cold, cold, particularly for a little soul that weighs an ounce!
Start hearing peeping Saturday - hatching has begun
Put a plastic bag over the chimenea to try and keep the rain and cold out
Left the duck alone, but kept checking on her from the back door - she is shivering. What?
Monday 4/30 - I came out and she is out of the nest and there are three peepers in the fireplace staring up at me!
Leave her alone - she goes back in and sits
Later that day, she leaves the nest with three peepers following. I look in the chimenea and there are three hatched babies that look like she may have walked on them - they are not alive. *sniff*
Porsche is in and out of the nest for most of the morning. After 1pm she abandons the nest, and she and the three babies sit under a bush with her wings over them - it's cold and very windy.
Around 3pm, I donned gloves and removed the three dead babies and buried them. I have to get the eggs out so I don't have a raccoon invasion. Will wait until I'm positive she isn't going back in (the eggs are cold - they aren't going to be with us)
Porsche takes the babies for a swim in the pool.
6pm - take the eggs and all of the "debris" away. Put the eggs in a plastic bag in the garage. Too stormy to bury them.
5/1 - she is just sitting in the yard, preening & walking around. Been in the yard all night it appears.
2:30pm - it's much nicer this afternoon - photos of them being out and getting a lesson follow
3pm - I bury the eggs :(

If I can stand to post my videos with my awful screechy voice, I may add that later. O_o

Here she is before they started to hatch...

The Snapping Turtle I found deceased on Saturday. No longer a predator. Sad though, he's been around since we moved here.

The Hatching Begins.....

See the little wing?

Trying to keep the rain out....so chilly!

Out & About!

Duck School :)

Brrrrrrr.......

May 1, 2012 Getting a lesson...Can you see the baby on Mom's Back below?

CLASSIC! I have never seen this! Talk about baby on board! LOL!

That's all for now! Quack!

Certified Wildlife Habitat! My Yard!!!

2012-01-06T08:04:00.000-08:00

How freakin COOL is this??? Sooo proud!

Blue Jay

2011-12-29T12:48:00.000-08:00

When I got to the gym this morning, this little guy was in the shrub in front of my usual parking space. Of course when I pulled in, further into the shrub he went. I don't know if you can see him...I tried to outline him.

December 1st Revisited~

2011-12-01T13:53:00.000-08:00

I didn't have the heart to update the post about Porsche being "on the nest". Raccoons! Ugh! No new babies here. :(

In other news; December 1st. I am reminded of my first December post:

http://mymuscovyduckstale.blogspot.com/2009/12/d-day-operation-december-duck.html

Oh how I wanted to ducks to fly and be free, and get my lawn back. I have regretted it ever since. Live and learn.

December 1st will always be a little sad for me. Oh well, I will go out and feed Porsche and Ellen (and the boys), maybe that will boost my spirits! After all, Merry Merry! :)

Porsche's On The Nest!!!

2011-08-25T07:20:00.000-07:00

Well, bad foot or not, Porsche has been playing with boys and she's out back sitting on eggs! When I went to take this shot, she got very angry and started after me! Peeping and flapping her wings!

Mama Elsa lives on!!! Funnily enough, she built her nest in the exact same spot where Elsa did....

It's a really safe spot, having the pool wall on one side. Too bad its not the side that faces east - better hurrican coverage. Irene hits today! Eeek! O_o

Porsche's Home!

2011-07-27T12:22:00.000-07:00

Good news! She's out of the hospital!

It was so busy at the Wildlife Center, I didn't think to take a picture when they first handed her to me.

I drove home with the A/C off, and was a wet dripping mess by the time we got here. I swear that duck pooped the entire trip in the car. How many ducks get to go for a ride in the car?? Scared shitless comes to mind! :)

I took her out back and her sister was sitting under the patio table. When I opened the cage to let her out, Ellen attacked her! It was AWFUL! I picked Ellen up and tossed her over the fence. Porsche hobbled into the yard and flew away. She was out of sight for about 3 hours.

She's still waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay down the canal, but I did finally get some pictures of her. She's free.

She's in God's hands now. The Humans have done all they can.

Good News!

2011-07-26T08:57:00.000-07:00

I just got a call from the Wildlife Center and Porsche is able to come home tomorrow. YAY!

There was a smidge of bad news - she is going to have a permanent limp. :(

I will get some pics of her tomorrow from the habitat and coming home.

Overall, good news!

Funny!!!!!

2011-07-22T12:54:00.000-07:00

Does anything else need to be said here? :)

Porsche The Duck

2011-07-12T14:01:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday we came home from dinner and one of our girls was out back and had a very badly hurt left foot. I tried to make her a nest and put her in there - No go. She sat out back for 3 days. She didn't get any better.

I called the Wildlife Care Center and they sent the ambulance and picked her up. She's been there a week today. She has a multiple fractured foot. She is on pain meds and antibiotics. Foot in a cast, resting on snuggly towels in her cage out in the pond hospital.

Believe it or not, I don't have a picture of her....one I can find anyway. I'll go and see her next week, so I'll get one then.

The good news is she is on the mend. I am sure she's isn't too happy being in captivity, but she is getting the care she needs. Once she is healed, I will go and get her and bring her back here. More then!

UPDATE: 7/22: Porsche is still in the hospital but the cast is off the foot. There is still quite a bit of heat in the foot, so she is still on pain meds and antibiotics. She's safe and on the mend. That's the main thing. More soon!

The Camels Are Real

2011-05-19T08:14:00.000-07:00

Ok SM - you nay-sayer....

When you saw this post you said these weren't camels at all!

AHA! They were/are camels!

And yes, I was this close.

Take that! :)

What a dorkus I am! O_o

2011-04-07T13:06:00.000-07:00

So my subdivision...it has several small lakes. There is one on the way in (or out - :) that you must pass coming or going.

This weekend, I was coming home & noted two all white ducks on the lake. I thought HOLY COW! Spentie and Angel! I pulled the car over and sat there and stared....something wasn't quite right about them. They weren't moving.

They were decoys.....*red face*

Christmas Camels

2011-01-28T11:07:00.000-08:00

I live in a subdivision that is very "horsey". It's a darling towne filled with skads of horse farms. Across the street from my subdivision is a farm that has hay rides! The Engineer is not one to do such a thing, and I don't have any friends here, so I've not done it. I have however, seen camels in their barnyard every Decemember. I "think" they are used in the amazing Christmas pagent held downtown every year.

This is an awful photo. I tried to zoom in, but its still blurry. I have pointed out the 3 camels. They look more like bales of hay, but honestly, they're camels.