Well! After the trauma of the drowned ducklings (good thing I never had to go to war)
The same Mallard female trusted Winston’s duck house from Georgia…….and laid 6 eggs in the back nest box!
Another mallard mother trusted the newly fortified ” old” duck house and also laid 6 eggs!
First time ever (in 14 years) we have had two female mallards sitting on eggs. Also the first year we and they have had the luxury of two duck houses!
It is quite a story!
A new mallard mommy laid 6 eggs (they lay one egg a day); wait until there are at least 6; they start sitting…….so they all hatch on the same day!
Now; just in case you did not know this……..(wild birds and chickens do the same) You are in the vast majority ! 100 CEO’s of Fortune 500 companies were asked this question!!
2% knew the right answer. (We need to educate people about these things…………That is pathetic!)
So the first mallard laid 6 eggs…….we counted! The first one hatched…….off she went with the first one……..the other five did not hatch! (my theory….first time…..only child is easier?)
My happy tale is that the same mother mallard who lost her first brood..(because of our leaky house……..sob!)….(we can identify by some markings on the back of her head) went to Winston’s new house!
She laid six eggs………and we watched her stay right in there for 2 days after the first one hatched! Until they all did! Bravo! No egg left behind !!!
Winston had that new house here so fast………and I drove a truck! Winston is the hero!
Here are the pictures!!
The back house is Winston’s “new house” from Georgia which arrived in 6 days! This is the female who hatched one chick….left the rest of the eggs in the old house…..and when the new house arrived……well……..here you are! “WOW! This sure a pretty place”!
She laid her eggs and that one hatched in the old place (all fixed up and waterproofed ) in the foreground!
The girl who lost her brood was not trusting that old place……..was so pleased with Winston’s she laid 7 eggs in Winston’s!
I will not bore you with my photos of her every single day for 28 days……..sometimes I could see her beak…..sometimes I could see nothing and despaired!
Then! Tah Dah!! Here she was with 7!!
They are honestly the size of bumblebees!
This is the mother who lost all six one day old ones in our house that leaked.
I am seriously into their survival.
Mother Theresa…….no…..but” mother duck” I have become obsessed……this mother duck I have a debt to. I cannot tell you. I practically slept on the bank.
They hatched!
It is hard to see them!
This is the same mother duck!
This is a happy ending to a very sad story!
And they are still alive; growing up way too fast…….(just like children) !
And I will be starting my before, during and after story of our daughter’s house next!
Penelope
Here is the mother with the “only child”!
(lots of my friends think she is “smart”
easier than 6 or 7 for sure!
I almost forgot the chicks! Yikes!
Here is the first set of our “mille flour” bantam chicks……..7!
The bobcat has been visiting……and decimating our flock…..so inside everyone! for a few months!
Look at the little chick peeking out of the Mommy’s feathers! (I will now get 500 withdrawals ) (I promise there is some serious design work coming)
Here are seven!
And then the other one hatched 9!
Now comes the “before and after” of what I think may be the very best house in all of Montecito!
Honestly. It was built in 1935. The golden era of proper scale; views, proportion…..and “enfilades” !
Designed by a gifted architect…….who did the airport in Santa Barbara; the Arlington Theatre……and a few houses…….and would be much more famous had he not died at 46!
Joseph Plunkett..part of “Edwards and Plunkett”…
The loveliest house! I will begin with the “before”! Where it was when I found it!
Just about the opposite of all “spec” houses and “McMansions” being built today!
Charm, warmth, proportions…….light……exposures……..(does everyone know what that means?); graciousness and cosy!
Next post!!!
Stay tuned!!!
17 Responses
How exciting to have all those little ones scampering about!!! We have witnessed the fledging of a nest of cardinals, catbirds and now 5 little baby bunnies, who had their coming out party last week. Now we see them all over the yard every morning and evening… (I hope they don’t eat tomatoes!) It feels good to know your home and yard is such an oasis, doesn’t it!
Looking forward to seeing your before pictures!!!
Cheers,
John
How exciting to have all those little ones scampering about!!! We have witnessed the fledging of a nest of cardinals, catbirds and now 5 little baby bunnies, who had their coming out party last week. Now we see them all over the yard every morning and evening… (I hope they don’t eat tomatoes!) It feels good to know your home and yard is such an oasis, doesn’t it!
Looking forward to seeing your before pictures!!!
Cheers,
John
My father had his first heart attach my freshman year in college. For the next 20 years he was in precarious health. The former farm boy, the teller of great tales, spent much of his time at his “office”—the kitchen table. He would call me up and chat for an hour about the happenings in his southern Oklahoma backyard. As his world got smaller, he became intimately involved with all of his “visitors”—the various critters who came within his view. I wish I had written down his stories—fables really—about his world, told from the wild life point of view.
I feel that way about your duck stories. So many life lessons. Life is fragile and deserves our support.
And don’t get me started about our lunatic attorney general in Kansas who seems to think we have “dominion” over the earth. His way of saying Kansas farmers have the right to pollute waterways that go downstream, killing things left and right until it creates a dead hole in the Gulf of Mexico. CRAZY stuff. Your heart and your efforts are in the very rightest of places. And, I happen to think, that’s where the best design comes from, too.
My father had his first heart attach my freshman year in college. For the next 20 years he was in precarious health. The former farm boy, the teller of great tales, spent much of his time at his “office”—the kitchen table. He would call me up and chat for an hour about the happenings in his southern Oklahoma backyard. As his world got smaller, he became intimately involved with all of his “visitors”—the various critters who came within his view. I wish I had written down his stories—fables really—about his world, told from the wild life point of view.
I feel that way about your duck stories. So many life lessons. Life is fragile and deserves our support.
And don’t get me started about our lunatic attorney general in Kansas who seems to think we have “dominion” over the earth. His way of saying Kansas farmers have the right to pollute waterways that go downstream, killing things left and right until it creates a dead hole in the Gulf of Mexico. CRAZY stuff. Your heart and your efforts are in the very rightest of places. And, I happen to think, that’s where the best design comes from, too.
“Home Before Dark” is someone I have followed with admiration and almost idolatry” honestly, since I started reading blogs!
This comment touched my heart in so many ways!
I especially love the connection of one’s heart and design resonates as well……I take it as the highest of compliments!
Thank you!!
“Home Before Dark” is someone I have followed with admiration and almost idolatry” honestly, since I started reading blogs!
This comment touched my heart in so many ways!
I especially love the connection of one’s heart and design resonates as well……I take it as the highest of compliments!
Thank you!!
Something happened and it erased my post!
Anyway what I said was,
I believe you would camp out on the bank looking over your ducks, thats the kind of lady you are! It is a duck paradise and I am so happy for your successes with the new duck house!
(I also said something about the airport, can’t remember word for word)
I loved the old airport, it is so cool that Plunkett designed the home your daughter is moving into, I can’t wait to see the pictures!!
Between you and me, I can’t stand the new airport!! Its hideous! I call it the Santa Barbara Mormon Tabernacle Airport. Its so CHEESY! Yikes! I can’t believe they destroyed the old one, is it really that much busier today than it was 10 years ago?
Anyway, look forward to seeing the story unfold with pictures of the house from run down to fixed up, I know you will do it justice!
xoxo
Kathy
H Kathy! The only good news here is that they did “preserve” the old one with the” outdoor staircase” Thank you, Mr Plunkett!!!!
this is the comment my friend tried to post!
five people have emailed me they have been unable to post a comment!!!!
all of a sudden…..there are the wrong pictures on the thumbnails…….you might like this……(instead of the right one; there are the seven baby chicks under the hen. This is pretty embarrassing
Can you help ?
Something happened and it erased my post!
Anyway what I said was,
I believe you would camp out on the bank looking over your ducks, thats the kind of lady you are! It is a duck paradise and I am so happy for your successes with the new duck house!
(I also said something about the airport, can’t remember word for word)
I loved the old airport, it is so cool that Plunkett designed the home your daughter is moving into, I can’t wait to see the pictures!!
Between you and me, I can’t stand the new airport!! Its hideous! I call it the Santa Barbara Mormon Tabernacle Airport. Its so CHEESY! Yikes! I can’t believe they destroyed the old one, is it really that much busier today than it was 10 years ago?
Anyway, look forward to seeing the story unfold with pictures of the house from run down to fixed up, I know you will do it justice!
xoxo
Kathy
H Kathy! The only good news here is that they did “preserve” the old one with the” outdoor staircase” Thank you, Mr Plunkett!!!!
this is the comment my friend tried to post!
five people have emailed me they have been unable to post a comment!!!!
all of a sudden…..there are the wrong pictures on the thumbnails…….you might like this……(instead of the right one; there are the seven baby chicks under the hen. This is pretty embarrassing
Can you help ?
HEY WORDPRESS! THINGS ARE MALFUNCTIONING!!!
CAN YOU HELP? CAN YOU FIX?
HEY WORDPRESS! THINGS ARE MALFUNCTIONING!!!
CAN YOU HELP? CAN YOU FIX?
I think I can understand what a roller coaster you’ve been on with these ducks because I would have felt exactly the same. I’m so glad the mother duck who lost all her chicks stayed and gave the new house a go and I’m so glad you got to share in her triumph.
PP
You understand…..really. She is the brave one….and I did “share” she does all the work….It makes my heart sing!
I go out every morning and throw some “treats” They see me coming and paddle quickly! I make sure I do not give them too many! They exist on the plants in the pond!
It sure is fun seeing them paddling toward me!
they are getting bigger!
You do understand! Brooke….my dear Brooke…..said a few days ago….the “beauty of blogging is finding true friends in like-minded people!”
You are example A!! You completely understand it! THANK YOU!!
Thank you for your lovely comment!
I think I can understand what a roller coaster you’ve been on with these ducks because I would have felt exactly the same. I’m so glad the mother duck who lost all her chicks stayed and gave the new house a go and I’m so glad you got to share in her triumph.
PP
You understand…..really. She is the brave one….and I did “share” she does all the work….It makes my heart sing!
I go out every morning and throw some “treats” They see me coming and paddle quickly! I make sure I do not give them too many! They exist on the plants in the pond!
It sure is fun seeing them paddling toward me!
they are getting bigger!
You do understand! Brooke….my dear Brooke…..said a few days ago….the “beauty of blogging is finding true friends in like-minded people!”
You are example A!! You completely understand it! THANK YOU!!
Penelope, I have read that a few people are having hiccups with wordpress right now, so hang in there! And my goodness did this just make my morning–how could it not? Hooray for the fearless Momma starting again and for the new Momma giving it her best!
Looking forward to the next post but how I love these duckling reports, just like Brooke’s chicken updates! Speaking of, in your comment recently, you mentioned going to see sheep with her? Now THAT I would like to see!
xo,
Heather
They preserved the old staircase? Where? http://search.yahoo.com/search;_ylt=A0oGdWC1eQVQXwYAgjNXNyoA?p=new%20santa%20barbara%20airport%20pictures&fr2=sb-top&fr=yfp-t-701-1
This is a test to see if I can post on your blog, cause I wasn’t able to last time.
xoxo
Kathy