Anybody seen 2-day ducklings before? I mean close enough to...

[lardhelmet]

...pick them up very gently & stroke their little heads? My friend's got 5 of the little beauties - we called round to see them yesterday. You just want to pick them up and put them in your bath with your loofah and sponge. Just beautiful.

[wolf63]

I saw some in a freezer in a pet shop years ago.

Alive - they are cute and always bring a smile to people's faces. I love watching them on the local pond.

[Eve]

Gorgeous! There are some baby geese down round the canals here (Manchester) and they are beautiful little things. Watch from a distance though as they are wild and wouldn't want to risk the wrath of protective mummy and daddy geese watching their babies.

[Mamyalynne]

Indeed they are gorgeous, we have quite a few just outside. Goslings too are a curious shade of green at the beginning. My all time favourite and I am waiting and watching are the baby Moorhens they bob along like little black pom poms.

[lardhelmet]

These are ducklings that were hatched in the incubator, so don't have a mummy or daddy - duckling orphans. When they get older they will follow my friend around the yard like she's their mummy like the first batch do - really funny!

[Eve]

This is one of the ones I saw yesterday...

http://tinypic.com/r/2qs6lvc/6

[LoftyLottie]

Ah, how lovely. Yes, as you say, they attach themselves to the first living being they see so they will have a human Mum. I remember many years ago having an art teacher who raised a duckling and it stayed with her for the duration of its life. She used to bring it to school quite frequently (it would follow her down the road) and it pecked at our ankles during art lessons.

Can't see schools allowing such things these days. (She also had a kestrel which came with her on other occasions).

Lots of little ducklings and little chicks around where I live as an area near me on the river is noted for its chickens and ducks. They all run around together!!

[Nosha123]

how lovely all of you!!
I got a visit from a pale coloured female yesterday - who I fed as a baby a year ago - I recognised her immediately as she was much paler in colour than her siblings...

I am being visited by about 24 ducks at the moment..
Family 1: 6 almost fully grown ducklings (about 2-3 months old now)
Family 2: Mum and 3 babies and Dad in tow - about a month old
Family 3: Mum - not a mallard - something else - very pretty grey bird - with EIGHT new babies - all tiny tiny tiny!!!
Family 4: Coots - with baby coots... x 3 I think...
not forgetting the other adults which are all male - and fight a lot!!!

Sometimes it gets quite noisy if they all arrive at the same time!! I have to fend the adults off and keep them away from all the babies! Plus keep the cat away - who watches eagerly!!!

Love em!