Give me a quack here and a quack there! Welcoming our friends, the mallards, after a long and dry summer lifts our spirits as we enjoy a brief, but meaningful pit stop here at Little Pond, now the Great Puddle.
Despite having little brook run-off and a gaping breach in the dam, the wonders of water and earth never fail to amaze us! The beautiful and memorizing feathered friends temporarily call our land their home before setting out on their next journey south. What a warm and fuzzy experience to replace our loss.
It is no secret that watching our water disappear this summer became a daily cloud of sadness. Once a thriving and decently sized body of water, our “new” shallow pond reflects little of the former, yet we appreciate what we have while we can, namely, our awesome ducks who bring life back in again.
Because observation is key in any environmental or conservation study (or even storytelling, I must add), we noted how different these fall ducks behave compared to our summer ones, meaning they are social little buggers!
Walking along our trail in the wild meadow, we spot a few ducks here and there, and while we walk and talk and do what humans do, they do not rapidly fire their wings and quack away like our summer ducks. They stay! Even better, the mallards are curious! Hence, a brief study of wild duck feeding safety and advice, and we are hooked!
With excitement, we throw handfuls of duck feed, only to watch it sink into the darkness.
Again, we aim and try to cast a broad net of flying morsels of goodness. Skunked, a no go, only sinking. Scratching our heads at this twist of fate, it does not take long for us to realize, the feed was not meant for water. Duck feed for farms does not do the job because it’s not wild.
Hence, returning to the study based on our observations, we accept the misunderstanding and move forward with a new plan. Research, reflect, retry.
“Quack,” we hear as they peck and poke one another while we throw small bits of cracked corn; the oldest and strongest ones, male and female, bully their way up front. Once again, some food sinks, but other bits float, and we accept this as part of understanding how life works, and how nature figures out a way regardless of failure. Ma Nature never gives in or gives up.
Our old log now serves as the duck food donut, and our mallards are happy as can be eating in a safe place, surrounded by water, protected. We simply found a way.
The trial and error of feeding ducks becomes reflective of a soul’s journey while pondering life’s try-outs. Our potential is tested day in and day out, and there may not be ripe moments to stop and observe, but we must make them because it’s worth the effort to understand what is or is not working. Then, we adjust, make plans, and try something new.
Pausing, observing, and listening, can make an entire world of difference, and as you do stop to adjust your belt and try again, think about your resources, your knowledge, and it may just be that you recognize your effort was worth it all along. To discover what does not work versus what can takes time, patience, and effort.
Oh, and what the reward it is. Just think of that donut:)
