Paul:
Here is the photo you wanted to be sent of the Muscovy parent and some of it’s chicks along Fletcher Lake.
It’s hard to believe that those little yellow “Peeps” will turn into the big white feathered duck.
Rich
Editor’s Note: Rich has been following the progress of this duck family ever since the ‘Peeps” appeared. The mother duck seems like the bossy type. My favorite duck is the Peking variety skillfully served at the Peking Palace in Manalapan on Route 33. Otherwise, when someone says “duck,” I get under the table. And Rich, if your say “duck”to him, he thinks of marshmallow chicks.
But a swan is another story. Makes me think of ballerinas in white dancing to Tchaikovsky. Here is a link to an Italian swan from Tuscany posted in 2014. —-PG
BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB “Dos Gardenias”
There are signs posted there saying, “Do not feed the water fowl.” That includes bird-like girls in bikinis walking by.
Unfortunately, there are several residents in the second block of Franklin Ave. feeding these ducks and endangering these wild animals. The ducks and chicks are being domesticated by being feed and giving them water.
Residents, please keep the wildlife wild and at their habitat by not feeding and providing water at your home.
Unfortunately, the ducklings have a very high attrition rate, no matter how attentive the parents are. They fall prey to traffic when crossing the road and other types of accidents. They are also targeted by a few aerial predators, occasional raccoons and not the least by feral cats which I have witnessed more than once. The feral cats also attack resident canada goose and wood duck chicks at Wesley Lake which have extremely defensive parents. Muscovy nests can produce 10 or more hatchlings, and many times several broods tend to combine, of which very few make it past yellow chick stage.
Thank goodness, we’ve been watching them too and lately have only been seeing 4 of the little guys and worried about what happened to the other 3. Glad to see they are all still around!
Waterseller: If the swan has been marinating in Wesley Lake, you might want to order the duck. Paul
How does a swan taste?