Baby Teals

Three years ago we had ducklings on the pond by our house. It didn’t go well. We started with eleven or twelve (when they clump together like this, it’s nearly impossible to count them!) and every day witnessed a slow dwindling of the chicks. It is possible that two survived to fly away, but I fear that none of them made it to adulthood.

Since then, we’ve had annual visiting pairs, but the ducks usually move on to other nesting spots. This spring there was an intense courtship of a female mallard that went on for weeks. The primary drake stuck close to her while the prospective interloping drake paced the driveway and road alongside the house. There were a few valiant efforts and scuffles on the pond, but eventually the rival hit the driveway.

I was certain that pair would stay, but they moved off in early May. It’s possible that a lot of activity around the garden, which is to the south of this pond, scared them off. All the pruning of trees and mowing of brush may have scared off predators as well. Soon after the mallards left, a pair of teals arrived. They must have set up their nest pretty quickly.  When I got back from Chicago, I was greeted by this wonderful bunch of offspring. The turtles are even being good about sharing their log (not that they have a choice).

Mama teal seems very lackadaisical in her childrearing. She is nowhere to be seen most of the day, while the ducklings practice their diving and travel around in small groups and pretty loose circles on the pond. Now and then she rallies and they all group behind her in a tight formation. They swim around like that for awhile, practicing the “safety in numbers” drill, and then she just goes off and lets them swim by themselves.

They’re adorable, and it’s great fun seeing them out there. I count 10 babies. But I’m not getting too attached.