Wow! Some Duck! Update!

Well, I promised that I would keep you guys updated, so here it is. I took all of the ducks outside and they followed me everywhere. Turns out, Louis was never actually afraid of me. He just didn't want a bath. While we were heading towards the middle of my backyard, a prairie falcon hovered over our heads and I panicked. My ducklings, due to their instincts, froze and looked straight into the sky at the falcon and I, still panicking, did the same and the falcon flew away. Then came a Turkey Vulture and it got to close for comfort, so me and the ducks ran. It was very funny and fun! Then came a red tailed hawk but we were half way into my garage when it came. I then smelt a foul smell from my duck house and decided I would clean it out. Then I noticed I ran out of floor pads for the ducklings and decided I would get more later. For the mean time, I built a enclosure for the ducks in my garage and they love it and they now love me!

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A.W.A's Ducks and Wild Ducks

Well, The A.W.A team and I plan to teach our Mallards how to fly like wild ducks, but my only concern is a wild duck will come and convince my ducks to fly away with it and I do not want that to happen. I have come up with 4 ideas on how this will work because I want to be prepared when it has to happen ( even though the ducks are only 3 weeks and 2 days old) . So my first idea was to run and have them follow me and have them take off and let them fly laps around a football field. I thought about this idea and I really thought it might work so I stuck with it because the team and I learned that when ever someone in the group or I run, the ducks will just run at you, so I thought "Maybe they will fly at us or me?" and I really believe that it might work. Then there is my second idea, I would just set the ducks on the high playground and walk away and they will just jump into flight and fly to me. This is also a good idea, but I do want everyone to know that I will do it with caution because I do not want to hurt the ducks in anyway so if I do take up this idea, I want the ducks to be standard fliers so they won't be in so much fear because if I just randomly put them up there and they have not ever been in the air once, they will jump and injure themselves. Also there is my third idea, in which I take the ducks and toss them into the air carefully and let them guide themselves from there. And last but not least, there is my fourth idea in which I run and flap to encourage them and act like I'm flying with them... I don't really like the last idea but, it is still an idea! Please stay up to date with my posts by visiting frequently! There is more to show! Always remember to please comment on my post and tell me what you think!

Wow! Some Duck!

Today I had to give my ducks a bath... it was very hard because they are very big now and cannot fit into their old bathtub, so I had to clean them one at a time. I learned that one of my ducks particular, Louis, is very scared of me.. I do not know why because I had the ducklings for 3 weeks now, but every time I come near him he runs... It is hard to change their bedding when he is squirming and I need to get him out of the cage... It upsets me that I have to have a duck that does not like me.. So I decided "It was time for fun time" with him so he will not be afraid of me. I surely hope it works because if it doesn't when he is bigger, and I teach the ducks to fly, he won't come back to me and he will have a 40% change of surviving in the prairie pond ( a little pond in the middle of a high grassed private land with only 1 male duck living there ) which is extremely wild landscape. Once, the area was a beautiful neighbor hood until, deer and raccoons and etc; decided they would destroy all the property and they just turned that area into a field, well it didn't start like that, they turned the cement into dirt and grass grew everywhere causing more wild life to come and the only memory of this neighborhood is 4 different car tires in the pond, a red fire hydrant, a cement pile, rock stack, and a bunch of houses on the side of the field but with fine fencing. Well, the point was for me to describe the history of the prairie pond and why it would be so dangerous for my ducks. Starting tomorrow, I will earn Louis's trust and we will be best friends! I will keep you guys updated about how it turns out tomorrow!

I (Darian Woodson) am going to tell you how got my Mallard ducklings on May 6th 2013. It was a very quiet day, and my mother and I was driving home from our trip to Hilliard- Rome, Ohio. Suddenly I was talking to her about me keeping ducks, and how amazing it would be to have them and she just listened to me, well, atleast thats what I thought until she dropped the "when did i say you could get a duck" on me and then I had to explain.. she then started to say she did not know where I would keep them. Then I had to further explain. I then told her my plan on setting up some 6 foot high chicken fencing to keep them in, inside of my backyard. I told her how I will make them a house to sleep in and in the morning let them roam the yard. She then decided it was best that we hold an arguement over it and after that.. it was silent. The whole ride back was silent. I kicked back in the passenger seat and just grabbed my tablet and listened to music.. I was very angry that she did that and then I became very emotional. I was happy, then sad, then angry all in that order. So while we took that 45 minute drive to the house I came up with a plan. My plan was to just get the ducks, then she would see how cute they were and just want to keep them. I soon got with the plan and prepared. As we reared into the drive way I sat sadly in the car quietly and decided I would give up. So I went out into the backyard and fixed up the bird sanctuary. I watched as the European Starlings, House Sparrows, Common Grackles, Northern Cardinals, and House Finches all were doing their daily routine at my bird stations. I soon realized, I would be fine with the birds I already have, plus i enjoy them anyways and then I got a phone call. When I picked up, to my surprise it was my brother. He had told me that he went out with his 2 friends and on their way home, they stopped at a Meijers store and they were surprised to find 4 little Mallard ducklings walking in the parking lot by themselves. I asked him did he check for the mother anywhere and she was no where to be found . They soon waited.. and waited.. and no female duck showed up. They soon called Petsmart, they asked if they would accept them and they said no and gave my brother the number to the animal rehabilitation building. My brother called and it said they were closed. So their only option left was me.. the bird guy.. I was so happy and I was dying to meet them but I panicked about where I would keep them. I grabbed my tool box and ran into the garage and made a brooder. I grabbed my lamp and bent it over them because they were cold and I felt as though, I could handle them. So I did it! I have 2 boys and 2 girls! I had a guy vent sex them so I would know. Today they are 4 weeks of age, from the day I got them (5-6-13 my dad's birthday) to (5-27-13 memorial day).

Here is a couple pictures of them from the day I got them..

Here is some pictures of a Great Blue Heron in Hilliard- Rome, OH

I plan to add photos also to my blog rather than just long stories to make my blog more interesting..