It’s a sad day, here at Thordale.
Black Ducky has died under the container while sitting on her second clutch of eggs this year. I told her to come into the hen-house or anywhere else apart from under the container but, no, she had to sit there and I expect something got her. It’s that time of year. I even had traps close by – they’ve caught nothing. I could not save her despite my best efforts.
At least Black Ducky had one duckling this year – Cuthbert – who she adored and was the best mother to.
Dear Cuthbert – he’s more than a little bit gormless and now he is old enough, he hangs around with a different crowd. He even has a girlfriend – an older lady – Penthesilea’s mother.
We will all miss Black Ducky. She was her own duck and the only black one. The other ducks were never very nice to her which is probably why she decided to nest this time under the container rather than in the duck-shed, where there is some new-duck politics going on. I did try to lure her into another shed but she would have none of it. The circle of life – it’s harsh.
