21/06/2005
Slaughter of the Innocents...
The day began badly for Mother Duck...
No, you have not strayed into Peter Rabbit's woodland dell, this is me... And when you have a stream flowing rapidly outside your kitchen door, the temptation is to fling any 'ant attracting' fruit waste into the fast flowing water is overwhelming.
Now, you would expect the local wildlife to know my casual approach to fruit preparation by now- though I have to admit that the top of a pineapple is a little heavier than most fruit debris... Anyway, I flung, the duck protested,and out I dashed- conscience, guilt, anguish streaking through me. I was followed by the rest of the family, cursing me as they ran.
Fortuately, all was well. Mother Duck sat on top of the weir, viewing me sternly with her small squad of ducklings- only 3 this time, lined up behind her.
We all breathed a sigh of relief and retired inside where a black plastic sack was quickly found to prevent further injury to the local wildlife.
But sadly, this was only the start of MD's troubles. Later her quacking became more agitated than ever. We dashed outside to see the brown rats had laid an ambush and were devouring the ducklings... and if you have ever seen the speed with which a rat can move through water you would know that those tiny balls of fluff didn't stand a chance.
Their mother, refusing to believe she had lost her whole brood, spent the rest of that day patrolling the river bank, fruitlessly searching. She woke me at dawn the next day- and anyone who thinks animals and birds can't think or feel, or grieve as we do, should have heard the weary, plaintive, muted sounds she was making; then they would believe.
Wiggy was all for mailing the RSPCA to find out how to get rid of our thriving river rat population- but as I pointed out, the heron gets hungry too... and all our wildlife has to eat. Cruel though it is, the food chain exists for a purpose... I just wish sometimes it didn't have to play out its dreadful drama in front of my cosy kitchen window...
But that's life, isn't it? We can't escape it, or ignore it. But that didn't stop me putting food out for the duck...
(It's an old and trusted tradition amongst us human's when someone loses a friend or relative...we take them food. Sometimes it's all we can do.)
Love to all, and I'll be back tomorrow with some smiley news, I promise!
Happy reading everyone!
Susan
No, you have not strayed into Peter Rabbit's woodland dell, this is me... And when you have a stream flowing rapidly outside your kitchen door, the temptation is to fling any 'ant attracting' fruit waste into the fast flowing water is overwhelming.
Now, you would expect the local wildlife to know my casual approach to fruit preparation by now- though I have to admit that the top of a pineapple is a little heavier than most fruit debris... Anyway, I flung, the duck protested,and out I dashed- conscience, guilt, anguish streaking through me. I was followed by the rest of the family, cursing me as they ran.
Fortuately, all was well. Mother Duck sat on top of the weir, viewing me sternly with her small squad of ducklings- only 3 this time, lined up behind her.
We all breathed a sigh of relief and retired inside where a black plastic sack was quickly found to prevent further injury to the local wildlife.
But sadly, this was only the start of MD's troubles. Later her quacking became more agitated than ever. We dashed outside to see the brown rats had laid an ambush and were devouring the ducklings... and if you have ever seen the speed with which a rat can move through water you would know that those tiny balls of fluff didn't stand a chance.
Their mother, refusing to believe she had lost her whole brood, spent the rest of that day patrolling the river bank, fruitlessly searching. She woke me at dawn the next day- and anyone who thinks animals and birds can't think or feel, or grieve as we do, should have heard the weary, plaintive, muted sounds she was making; then they would believe.
Wiggy was all for mailing the RSPCA to find out how to get rid of our thriving river rat population- but as I pointed out, the heron gets hungry too... and all our wildlife has to eat. Cruel though it is, the food chain exists for a purpose... I just wish sometimes it didn't have to play out its dreadful drama in front of my cosy kitchen window...
But that's life, isn't it? We can't escape it, or ignore it. But that didn't stop me putting food out for the duck...
(It's an old and trusted tradition amongst us human's when someone loses a friend or relative...we take them food. Sometimes it's all we can do.)
Love to all, and I'll be back tomorrow with some smiley news, I promise!
Happy reading everyone!
Susan
