Last weekend I found a duck nest just outside the south door of the barn. It's tucked up against the barn, under the overhang, just next to the stack of hay bales. When I found it, there were 3 eggs in the nest, but no duck. The next day there were 4 eggs, then 5 eggs, then 6 eggs.
I decided to document the progress. So each day I go out with my camera in hand and try to catch the duck in the act. Here you can see the hay bales and the corner of the door. Not the smartest choice but it must have seemed like a good idea at the time.
So far, no luck - but look how many eggs there are!
How many will she lay before she decides that's enough?
She's up to NINE for heaven's sake! What could she be thinking?
Doesn't she know Eight is Enough?
And how can we be sure that the nine she's already laid will hatch?
Apparently, as they're laying their clutch of eggs, ducks allow them to cool, so that they slow the development and all the eggs hatch at once.
We'll see... when we tune in tomorrow for the next installment.
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