#aduckslife

[jofabi]

Picture Home 2, day 8, Two of a Kind. Goodmorning! Not two of a kind for real. But I find it so sweet that other ducks have been keeping Oelie, our Indonesian walking duck, company on and off for a while now. A male and female Mandarin, who belong to neighbours down the road, and a wild duck are his new friends. They Mandarins only visit us in breeding season, and for the free food I think. And that's ok. Oelie (short for Oelek from Sambal Oelek, his brother was called Sambal, in short Sam) has been feeling lonely since his girlfriend Kopi (coffee) is busy with her ducklings in the temporary coop near the Chickens House. A few weeks ago Oelie sat in front of the kitchen door frequently. Not anymore and now he still hasn't discovered Kopi's whereabouts. Duck couples don't bring up their young together I've been told so I'm happy Oelie has found himself a girlfriend. Can't wait for the ducklings to grow big enough to join their mom and dad in the pond. #pspicturehome #shuttersisters #hetboerengenieten #afarmersdelight #aduckslife #nikonD700 https://www.instagram.com/p/CBP1avCgdlt/?igshid=1muue97f21tjv

[jofabi]

Picture Home, day 31, A Whole New World. I know I posted this earlier. This photo fits this prompt so well. This is the size I had intended. A Whole New World has opened for some new sweet additions to our family. Saturday the eggs of our Indian walking duck hatched, fourteen of the fifteen. Number fourteen had just been born when we took mom out of her secret hideout and was still tired. I took fourteen in my hand and held mom while Eric 'fished' all of the little ones from behind the big tree trunk. We moved them to a secluded spot near our chicken house to grow up safely. A pair of crows created a nest in top of a big willow in our garden, like every year, and their chicks flew out too. I know they like little ducklings. So now a whole new world has started for us too. #pspicturehome #shuttersisters #hetboerengenieten #afarmersdelight #aduckslife https://www.instagram.com/p/CA8c9XPFKMt/?igshid=1l1nvwmhsv6gv

[jofabi]

Picture Home, day 31, A Whole New World. I know I posted this earlier. This photo fits this prompt so well. This is the size I had intended. A Whole New World has opened for some new sweet additions to our family. Saturday the eggs of our Indian walking duck hatched, fourteen of the fifteen. Number fourteen had just been born when we took mom out of her secret hideout and was still tired. I took fourteen in my hand and held mom while Eric 'fished' all of the little ones from behind the big tree trunk. We moved them to a secluded spot near our chicken house to grow up safely. A pair of crows created a nest in top of a big willow in our garden, like every year, and their chicks flew out too. I know they like little ducklings. So now a whole new world has started for us too. #pspicturehome #shuttersisters #hetboerengenieten #afarmersdelight #aduckslife https://www.instagram.com/p/CA8c9XPFKMt/?igshid=1l1nvwmhsv6gv

[jofabi]

Another day in paradise... All went well today. All fourteen still here. Mom isn’t really loving though. Not to her little ones and not to us. This is a rare moment that she allowes them to sleep under her. But maybe it is a duck thing. She teaches her babies to distrust us. We can’t pick them up to let them get used to us. I feel a bit disappointed about that. But they’re still cute. #hetboerengenieten #afarmersdelight #shuttersisters #aduckslife https://www.instagram.com/p/CA6NOrGgJ58/?igshid=9elddhil7p7o

[jofabi]

Fourteen. She was last out yesterday we suspect. And she felt a bit slow and tired. I kept her under the lamp for some time. When she was a bit more lively I held her near her family and she stepped out of my hands to join the others. Today was a busy day with playing, eating and splashing in the water bowl. Kopi was a bit on her own. So no snuggling under her wings. Suddenly the light of number 14 went out and I kept her with me again for some time. She’s now sleeping with her family again. Hopefully she’ll be ok tomorrow... It’s a bit disappointing... Kopi wasn’t used to people when we got her and now she’s teaching the little ones that I’m a scary person. Keeping 14 warm and snuggling with her was a sweet gift. #hetboerengenieten #afarmersdelight #aduckslife #shuttersisters https://www.instagram.com/p/CA3QQuUgLa6/?igshid=1tfuwpjvm1jsh

[jofabi]

The big day of 14 little ones... This morning we checked how many ducklings hatched in Kopi’s secret hideout. We counted fourteen little ones with one egg left. Thirteen were lively. Number fourteen was probably late and looked a bit tired. I took her with me for a while. Now all fourteen are in a secluded spot where they can grow safely. The leftover egg is under a warm lamp till tomorrow. They’re so cute. It’s a special day anyway because today two years ago the three Casarca’s hatched and last year the white mandarin showed up with seven ducklings... For us today is officially ‘Duck day’. #hetboerengenieten #afarmersdelight #aduckslife #shuttersisters https://www.instagram.com/p/CA0G3rBA4VB/?igshid=1m3o9n9devho9

[jofabi]

Picture Home, day 28, Don’t miss it. We've waited 30 days for this miracle to happen. And some four days more... Maybe we miscounted. Finally it's happening... the first four are here. Kopi (which is Indonesian for coffee) has got 15 eggs under her belly, that we could count. Now we have to wait with how many little ducklings she will emerge. Thirty four days ago she disappeared somewhere in the garden. And stayed away for long hours. She only appeared for eating and bathing. I found her hiding spot by secretly following here after her daily feed and bath. Found her under the stump of a cut tree, next to a heap of horse manure and behind a neat pile of chopped wood for the stove. A perfect dark en cozy little room. It took forever for the eggs to hatch. For a moment I even thought it wouldn't happen. And suddenly the much anticipated moment is here. Eric and I work from home so it was easy to keep an eye. It is not a moment I would have wanted to miss. Now we hope we can move her to a safe and secluded spot in the morning. (There is also a crows nest in the top of a big tree in the garden. 😳). #pspicturehome #shuttersisters #hetboerengenieten #afarmersdelight #aduckslife #nikonD700 & iPhone11 https://www.instagram.com/p/CAx3hI8AfsD/?igshid=1sqfay601fnew

[jofabi]

Day 67. “Say hello more often to creatures you don’t know really well. Let yourself be surprised by the differences. Be open to discover the similarities.” ‘Well Mies, there are a lot of differences between our duck family and you and me. But we all like being close to water and we all like food. That is enough to enjoy each others company.’ Yesterday I went to see the documentary ‘Woman’ with a friend, an interview with 2000 women from 50 countries. It is a wonderful film, touching, empowering, sad, recognizable, funny. It felt amazing to see how beautiful and different and strong women are. And also horrible to see how much suppression and abuse against women there still is in this world. #miesandteddysexcellentadventure #acatfulness365 #acatslife #catsofinstagram #aduckslife #shuttersisters https://www.instagram.com/p/B9sTNGQg448/?igshid=txzqc0ekazoj