I like observe what’s going on in the garden. A few minutes sitting outside my garden studio opens up another world.
I’ve found that if I sit very still the wildlife just carries on as usual with the important business of finding food or a nice new home. Yesterday I was enjoying a lovely cup of fresh coffee when I heard an insistent rustling nearby.

How strange. Creatures passing through the garden generally make little noise but this went on and on. It was very close to me and sounded like dry leaves being gathered. I sat still and waited. Eventually the rustling stopped and a female duck stepped onto the path then waddled off into the field. As soon as she was out of sight I investigated. This is what I found.  She had made a nest just a few feet away under the Christmas Tree.

The rustling I heard was indeed dry oak leaves being gathered to form the nest. She had plucked the down from her breast to cover her eggs and keep them warm too. We have marauding magpies who like a nice fresh tasty duck egg for breakfast so the ducks disguise their nest each time they leave.

I managed to get this quick shot of her today. She is incubating her eggs now and will only leave them for a short time each day to eat and drink. They must be kept warm. She’s keeping her beady eye on me.
I’ll keep my eye on her too and we should see ducklings very soon.

Gillian 🙂