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Caturday Pootie Diary: Backyard (duck) science [1]
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Date: 2023-03-25
This has become a daily occurrence at our home. We usually get a few fowl visitors every Spring, but this year they’ve really invaded. They seem to have figured out that there is birdseed to be had on the ground under our window feeder, and they show up daily to scoop it up and demand more.
The male bird gave a sharp quack! and knocked his bill against the glass of the window a few times for good measure.
Freddie gave a chattering whine from behind the couch, where he was hiding and peeking out at them.
“Come on, little guy,” I coaxed. “Let’s get some food in your belly.”
He followed me into the kitchen, still looking over his shoulder at the ducks in the window.
“Ignore them,” I sang, opening a can and dumping the contents on a plate. He jogged ahead of me to his mat and waited patiently for me to set down his food. I did, and gave him a few pets. That was our routine.
I stood and walked to the sink to wash my hands. When I turned back, he was gone, his plate still full.
“Freddie! Come back and eat!”
He was back at the couch, watching the ducks.
The ducks were still at the window, glaring in at us. In the beginning we had left them small piles of seed. That had been a mistake, as they seemed to have long memories.
I had googled it, and chlorine pools are not a danger to ducks as long as they don’t drink too much of the water. It was recommended that we not encourage them to hang out in our pool just in case. I left them a bowl of fresh water, but we’ve stopped leaving them seed.
They are unhappy about this.
Freddie is unhappy about their presence.
It’s been a stressful Spring.
I walked over to him and bent over to pet him. “Go eat,” I implored.
“Ducks,” he said, darkly.
“They’re outside. They can’t get to you.”
He lowered his body even closer to the ground, his full attention on the window. “I can get them,” he whispered, then leapt toward the ducks, banging into the glass in front of them.
They flapped their wings and flew back, away from the window and toward the pool.
Freddie trotted back to me, a feline smile on his face. “Did you see?” he asked, proud of himself.
“I did!” I said, grinning back at him. “What a good hunter you are!”
“Yeah. I’m pretty great,” he agreed, walking past me and back to his breakfast.
I did the dishes while Freddie finished his breakfast behind me. From the sink I could see the whole backyard and I watched as the ducks climbed back out of the pool and slowly approached the window. The male kept watch while the female pecked away at the seeds that had fallen or been thrown out of the bird feeder.
I looked over my shoulder at Freddie, watching as he finished his meal, then sat to groom himself.
Back at the family room window, the ducks finished their scavenging and settled down, fluffing their feathers and relaxing. I thought they might take a nap right there.
Freddie finished his bath and slowly headed out of the kitchen to find a sleep spot.
“Uh, Freddie,” I said, concerned about his reaction to the ducks.
I saw the exact moment he spotted them. His whole body froze mid stride and he gasped. “Audacity!” he cried.
He crouched down low and stalked toward them. They seemed to be ignoring him entirely. He made it all the way to the cat bed in front of their window before the male turned to look at him. The colorful bird watched as Freddie dove forward and smacked into the glass.
The glass rattled in its frame as the ducks hopped back and into the pool again.
I shook my head. “Take it easy on that glass,” I admonished.
He paid me no attention as he watched the ducks, swimming in lazy circles around the pool. They did not seem particularly upset.
”Isn’t it time for you to sleep?” I asked.
He dragged his attention from the swimming pool and looked up at me. “Is it?”
I nodded firmly. “It is. Maybe go upstairs so they don’t distract you?”
”They need watched,” he muttered darkly.
I made myself a cup of coffee and sat on the couch to drink it and read. Despite my best efforts, my eyes kept leaving my book and drifting to the backyard where the ducks had made themselves at home. As I watched, they left the water and slowly made their way back to the window.
It was almost like they were playing with my cat. Or teasing him.
Freddie was curled up in his bed, his back to them, as they reached the window. They watched him for a few minutes, then the male knocked his bill against the glass again.
Freddie jumped up, instantly awake, and hit the window with both front paws, hard.
Both ducks flew back to the pool, quacking loud and fast.
It sounded a lot like laughter.
Happy Caturday, Peeps! It’s been fun having the ducks hang out in our yard (and not just this pair, either! We’ve had a whole group of males come by too!), but we are going to have discourage it. The pool guy recommended getting a blow up shark or crocodile and leaving it in the pool. Like a scare-duck!
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