Feathery female fears

The mother duck was taking her two ducklings out for a meal along the shore line in Kenner-- looking for safe places they could swim in an pick up some tasting bugs on the rocks.

The ducklings were usually a little slow in scampering in. There may have been 100 bugs sunning on a rock, but by the time the duckling got close, they had mostly zoomed behind the rock. Catching just one bug was about as good as they did.

Then mother duck would usher them back out to open waters to find another spot.

Occassionally, they would find rocks with algae growing and she would let them feast. She was most wary at these spots. She was probably more fearful because the algae was on rocks below the water and the slight waves could easily overwhelm the youngsters.

In the top picture, I ventured a little too close to get a picture. Mommy duck zoomed into a guard position and stared me down. After a few bites by the ducklings, she nosed them back out to safety.

In the bottom picture, the two ducklings seem to be conferring. Almost teenager like, they seem to be saying "She needs to let us loose. We're big enough to handle ourselves. I hate when she hovers over me..."

The mother keeps her eye staring my way.

--steve buser