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“The
Duckling That Did Not Like Water!!!”
By
Caroline Kane
(This
story was inspired by my sitting in the work truck in the rain, thinking
it was typical duck weather, then wondered how funny it would be if
there was a duck who didn’t like water!)
It
was a very special day at the pond. Today would be the day that all the
plumed whistler duck mothers would take their babies for their very
first swim. What a sight to see!! There
must have been at least fifty young ducklings and their Mums making
their way to the waters edge.
Now
as it turns out, most young ducklings will get into the water by
themselves, but sometimes a few of the ducklings might need a little
extra encouragement and perhaps a gentle nudge from Mum.
One
particular Mother duck was busy fussing over her babies.
In fact she had already spent several days trying to get her
ducklings into the water. “Come on my darlings, you’ll enjoy the
water, it’s ever so cool and refreshing.
You will all be wonderful swimmers just like your Father.”
Finally one by one, her babies plop themselves into the pond with
quacks of delight, ready for their very first swim - except,
that is, for one duckling who just flat out refuses to budge.
This is Zeb, the largest of the ducklings, but also the most
timid. He’s not too sure
about this whole swimming business.
Finally,
his Father loses his patience with young Zeb.
“I don’t understand it, look at the size of you” he says,
and leaving poor Zeb on the bank, he swims off with the other ducklings
to teach them the art of gracefully gliding along the pond and other
ducky things, such as going “tail up” when bobbing for food.
Poor
Zeb stands with a single tear rolling down his beak; feeling totally
unloved and left out. Mother duck wraps a protective wing around her
young son and tells him “Never mind Zeb, you’ll do it when you’re
ready.”
All
of a sudden there is a commotion in the middle of the pond. Father duck
has gotten his leg caught in the underwater reeds. He’s trapped!
The other ducklings try to free him but they can’t get the
reeds undone.
When
Zeb realises his Dad is in danger he takes off, and without thinking he
runs along the bank, up onto a log that is sticking out into the middle
of the pond and bomb dives into the water close to his Father.
Before his Father can say anything, Zeb goes tail up and dives
down into the pond to free his Dad’s leg.
He reaches the tangled reeds and pulls …. and pulls ….. and
pulls until finally the last reed breaks and his Dad is free.
Bobbing
back up to the surface, his Father grabs him and gives him a great big
hug. How wonderful he feels.
Never in his whole life has he felt this happy. But then, a
strange expression comes over his face as he suddenly realises he is in
the middle of the pond, surrounded by water!
Before he can say or do anything, his proud Dad quacks “You did it,
son! You’re swimming – you’re in the water!!”
Well, first Zeb just looks astonished, then he looks around in amazement
“I did it!! I really did it!! Yippeeeeee!!”
he quacks excitedly.
And with that his Mother and all his brothers and sisters join him and
his Dad in the middle of the pond for a very happy day of swimming.
From then on, he is no longer the duckling who is afraid of
water, now he is the hero of the pond.
© Caroline
Kane,
Ingham, Australia 2008
Plumed
whistling duck (Dendrocygna eytoni)
The Plumed Whistling Duck (Dendrocygna eytoni), also called
the Grass Whistle Duck , is a whistling
duck which breeds in New Guinea and Australia. It is a predominantly
brown-coloured duck with a long neck and characteristic plumes
arising from its flanks. The sexes are similar in appearance.
Taxonomy
Described by English naturalist Thomas
Campbell Eyton in 1838, its specific epithet honours its namer. Its
generic name is derived from the Ancient Greek terms dendron
"tree", and kuknos (via Latin cygnus)
"swan". Grass Whistle Duck is an alternate common name; other
less common ones include Eyton's Plumed, Red-legged or Whistling
Tree-duck, Grass, Grey or Red-legged Whistler, and Monkey Duck.
Description
Measuring 42-60 cm (16.5-24 in) and weighing around a kilogram, it
is a long-necked duck with brown upperparts, paler underparts and a white
rump. The chest is chestnut with thin black bars, while long
black-margined plumes arise from its flanks. Its bill and legs are pink,
and its iris is yellow. The male and female are similar in appearance. The
species has a characteristic lowered neck and short, dark, rounded wings
while flying. The call is a characteristic whistle which gives the bird
its common name.
Distribution
and habitat
The range is eastern, northern and central Australia from the Kimberley
across the Top End and Cape York, down to southern Queensland and northern
New South Wales on the east coast, although may reach northwestern
Victoria inland, in the vicinity of the Murray River. It is also found in
New Guinea
. The preferred habitat is tall grassland and savanna, often near bodies
of water.
Breeding
The Plumed Whistling Duck breeds during the wet season, generally in January
to March, although it can be later in April or, in a few cases, May. One
brood is raised per season. The nest is a mattress of grasses or similar
material in tall grass, or in or near vegetation as cover. 10 to 12 oval
eggs are laid, measuring 48 x 36 mm; 14 or more have been recorded on
occasion. Initially shiny and creamy-coloured, they may become stained.
The incubation period is around 30 days.
(Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plumed_Whistling_Duck
)
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