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| Hawk at attention at pond side, Charleston, S.C. |
Uhoh. I went behind the hospital a couple of times today searching the ponds at the back of the campus to see if I could find mama duck with her babies at swimming classes. I just missed them this morning but when I went back this afternoon I met this impressive figure on guard at the pond. Considering the spread of snowy white in the grass things don't look good for the little ducklings.
" Oh NO!!" was my first thought. But this is nature at it's most natural state.
ReplyDeleteAnd we don't aways like it, do we..
Henery Hawk, here, mistook the ducklings for chickens.
ReplyDeleteThose great blue herons and turtles will do in little paddlers as well. The herons slurp them up and turtles drag them down and drown them.
ReplyDeleteMother nature is tough.
The anonymous librarian
Oh no Joan, I've come across a similar sight twice in my garden, the law of nature can be harsh yeh!
ReplyDeleteWe have seen many a brood in our pond and the chances for survival for Mallard ducklings is about 10%. Nature is tough!! We have resident gators that like them all, mamma's and daddy's too! We have seen gators grab full size domestic ducks in nothing flat!!! That is the way it sorry to say!
ReplyDeleteLooks like you found a Coopers Hawk, like the one in my back yard. Who eats my pigeons and leaves little circles of feathers everywhere...
ReplyDeleteMarcheline-at-work