Thursday, May 22, 2014

Awkward adolescent ducks

I bet you haven’t read many things with THAT title, have you?!?

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The ducklings are indeed awkward adolescents these days. 

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Their feathers are coming in, which means that they’re part fuzz, part feather, and the areas that are transitioning look…ragged. 

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And sometimes wet, even if they’re not wet. 

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Their voices are starting to change, too, so what we hear these days is, “Peep, peep, peep, squawnk!” 

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They also act as if I am always and have always been out to kill them. 

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This morning, when I went to transfer them to their outdoor habitat, they all peep-peep-squawnked with great horror, and then two even propelled themselves (by somewhat mysterious means) out of their makeshift enclosure, one even going so far as to run across the kitchen (really quite funny to see) before she realized that she’d – horror of horrors! – left all her flockmates behind and was (the worst fate possible for a runner duck) ALONE!!!

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Birds of a feather ABSOLUTELY flock together.

It’s somewhat disconcerting to be seen as the most horrible event in the lives of four ducklings…all before 7 a.m. 

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But despite their awkward adolescence and their irrational fear of those who bring them all good things in life, they are still pretty darn cute and endearing, and we’re all glad they’re here. 

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