The Ducks of Bluestone Farm

I haven't posted any pictures lately, so I thought it high time to introduce the newest five members of our Bluestone Farm family: Brigid, Graham, Bernie, Blue and Petra. These are our five Muscovy ducks. Here's how we arrived at their names: Brigid (of Kildare, my favority Celtic saint), Graham (Quacker, of course), Bernie (we got these three on Bernard Mizeki's memorial day), Blue (a blue Muscovy and half our name) and Petra (Greek for stone, so we have "Bluestone" ducks).

In the photos, Bernie and Graham are the two large white ducks in the blue pond. Brigid is the other mostly-white Muscovy in the black pond, and the two little ones with her are Blue (the lighter-colored small duck) and Petra. You can't tell it in these pictures, but Petra has irridescent green wings.

Duck wings stay small for awhile, though Muscovies eventually become good flyers and will head for the trees to scope out the joint when they get a little older. Ducks are fascinating to watch; they stick close together and watch out for the little ones. They move from place to place in a line, Brigid in the lead usually, with Blue and Petra in the middle. Every now and then all of them will stretch tall and flap their wings, for no apparent reason I can fathom. This is an impressive display for the larger ducks, but for Blue and Petra, with their stubby duckling wings, it reminds me of children playing dress-up, trying to look like the adults.

We have to trust these wonderful creatures to the vagaries of life outdoors. We do secure them in their new house in Duckville at night, but during the day they pretty much have the run of the world if they want. They forage a bit farther from home each day. I know the dangers that lurk in our woods — coyotes, hawks, raccoons — but this is how life works. We live in harmony with our surroundings, but that doesn't mean the coyote family won't have duck for dinner some night. Or that we won't ache with Lyme Disease. It's all a balancing act, and you pays your dime and you takes your chances.

Just the same, we keep an eye out for the little ones.