Jemima

Yes, can't nature be cruel? As I said in my previous Post I have a great view from my window as I work in my office at home. Our rather overgrown garden (I really must try and spend more time tidying it up) tumbles down to a river where there is always something interesting going on. It makes it so much easier to do mundane things like the VAT or paying invoices or checking tax returns when I can glance up and see the wild birds or even just watch people walking or playing with their dogs on the bank opposite.
The day before yesterday I was in the garden - unfortunately not tidying up, but just feeding the fish in the pond. I heard a loud sort of quacking noise and there at the edge of the river was 'Jemima'. Now 'Jemima' is an ordinary white duck who has lived on the river for a number of years, and as we are regular duck feeders we always recognise 'Jemima' because she is white. You can't miss her because as a white duck amongst all the other ordinary Mallard ducks she sticks out as they say 'like a sore thumb'. But there she was - the day before yesterday- at the edge of the river with a brood of four tiny ducklings. All little brown round balls skidding across the water at high speed. Jemima fussed about them and kept them close to her as she ventured nearer to us for a quick piece of bread. Then after a few minutes she was off down the river again with her new family quacking as she went and waiting from time to time for the last ducking to catch up with its brothers and sisters. Now we often see ducklings at this time of year, but to see 'Jemima' with her brood really made me feel good. I had always thought that 'Jemima' had been a drake, and was often seen having rather nasty fights with other ducks that she hung around with. (The name Jemima comes from Beatrix Potters-Jemima puddle duck and it had always been a family joke that we thought she was a he, Jemima that is not Beatrix! - all very confusing.) Well regarding the duck I guess I was wrong on both counts. She was after all a female duck and I think that the fights may have been other male ducks trying to mate with her. How wrong had I been?
But this morning disaster had struck. I saw 'Jemima' paddling slowly up the river all on her own. During the night I had woken to hear lots of ducks quacking and wings flapping. There was nothing I could do, and besides we often hear ducks or birds or dogs so there was nothing new. I didn't even think of 'Jemima'. But the noise must have been Jemima trying to protect her ducklings from some predator. Maybe a mink or a cat or a heron? Who knows? Those tiny creatures are all gone. How sad that they only got to see life for a couple of short days. I guess they made some tasty snack for some predators family. Poor, poor Jemima.
Maybe when I saw her paddeling back up river Jemima was heading back to her old nest and will try and raise some more ducklings in the weeks to come. Obviously she had picked a good spot to sit on her eggs. At least they had hatched safely. I just hope that if she is successful she will be more careful next time. I think that she stands out more than other ducks and is an easy target for passing duckling eaters. I guess it would be quite easy to spot a white duck at night. But I shall be watching and waiting. Nothing I can do, but to see her with a healthy family would make my Summer.