Posted by alexandra_k on November 23, 2004, at 15:52:06
About the time I moved in to the hostel a duck with her seven ducklings turned up. They were so tiny and sooo cute.
One of the guys from an adjacent cottage threw a couple of apples at them, stunning one and killing another. I have no idea why. My flatmates were very upset and made a grave which the birds got into overnight unfortunately...
Anyway, they are much bigger now and are starting to get their proper feathers.
Every morning when I sit outside to have my coffee and two cigarettes they see me from a distance and start tweeting (they can't quack yet) and they come waddling up as fast as their little legs can carry them. I have to go inside and fetch a couple of slices of bread to feed them. They are really friendly, they even eat out of my hand.
They seem to live at the hostel and there is a little creek at the back where they go swimming. I worry a bit that we are teaching them to scavange, but I guess they will never go hungry on campus. And now that MacDonalds has gone (thank god - they got sick of students ripping down their sign in protest) they don't have to worry about being fed abominations such as chicken nuggets.
Animals are so amazing. For her to still be around after a human kills one of her babies. For her to still let them eat out of our hands.
They are starting to get proper feathers on their wings. I think they will be flying in a week or so :-)
poster:alexandra_k
thread:419416
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20041122/msgs/419416.html