Colson the chaser

Our little call duck Colson who sticks with the mottled ducks for the most part is expanding his interests and has now started chasing several different Muscovy males.  How can these big drakes be so intimidated by a little guy like Colson?  It mus all be in the attitude!

Colson constantly chases this guy

Silhouette showing Colson's one curled up "drake feather"

The Egyptian geese have graced us with their presence for the last few days, staying most of the day after their honking entrance. And it seems like there are more boat-tailed grackle males around.   And the palm warbler has been around a lot also.

The smallish tricolor heron posed on the boat today.  He has been around on both sides of the canal but seems to like that boat.  He must be a juvenile as he has quite a lot of brown on his wings.

Young tricolor heron is enjoying some boating

The cormorant had the same idea as the tricolor heron, and was back on the boat again.  That boat is a busy place, often hosting an anhinga as well.

Handsome blue-eyed dude takes a break from fishing

There is no pattern for which Muscovies appear on any given day.  One morning can be almost devoid of ducks and the next be like Grand Central station.  We can usually count on seeing Blanco, Big Boy, Lazlo, the new handsome male, Black Foot and girls Cutie2, Cutie Tips and one or two harem girls.  Mom and the juveniles has erratic.  The juveniles are really growing.  They rested together with mom under my neighbor's bushes, staying almost all day.

Growing big and starting to show white wing tips

Blanco is looking healthy and fit

Everyone who was in the backyard today suddenly flew into the canal in a panic, including the mottled ducks, the female Muscovies and a few males, too.  The ones in the side yard didn't move.  I suspect a hawk make a low fly-by.

My neighbor's big friendly dog visited the backyard today.  He doesn't usually do that, preferring to stay in his own yard.  This big guy seems quite harmless but he scared away all the ducks.  Then he pooped in my yard which was not welcome behavior.  The ducks and birds are very leery of him but I don't think he would hurt them.

Big friendly pooper

I candled the Muscovy eggs that I'm incubating since Cutie2 abandoned them and 3 are definitely flourishing.  I didn't discard any yet but I probably should, at least the unfertilized ones.  The incubation period is half over now with two and a half weeks still to go.  Could they possibly survive and hatch?  Then what do I do???