60 PHOTOS: My AMAZING Friendship with Wild Ducks

Bonding with the original flock of Muscovy Ducks

Male Muscovy duck friend eating from my hand

Male Muscovy duck eating from my hand

Male and female Muscovy ducks

I pet and feed a particular flock of wild Muscovy ducks.

A female Muscovy introduced me to her ducklings.

Muscovy older ducklings who come when I call them.

Nesting Muscovy telling me to get lost. 

Dedicated Muscovy didn't move for 4-5 weeks while nesting.

Just hatched out ducklings; finally! 

After a month of nesting, her first day back in the water with newborn ducks.

Mama Muscovy teaching her babies; their first day in the water! 

New ducklings in the neighborhood. 

The orange-leg mix-breed (Mottle/Mallard) who joined the flock. 

Egyptian goose teenager

14 ducklings were just born (3 eggs didn't hatch)...many won't survive, though. 

First swim with mama at one day old. 

Teenager Muscovy ducklings; my best little friends. 

Baby Mottled ducklings. I know their parents, and they were left with a Muscovy aunt.

Odd duck who might be disabled who joined the flock. Orange feet of Mottled. Mix breed.

The ducklings don't fear my (vegan-eating) dog friend: Primo! (They should; I hold him back). 

Handsome Muscovy male. 

Right: My first duckling friend; now a teenager; only one who survived out of 14 ducklings.

Beautiful face. 

Teenager Muscovy eating from my hand. 

My very first duckling friend who I could pet is almost a full grown duck now. 

Hello. 

Mottled duck family. I pampered the parents as they were the "under-ducks".

Another type of bird that comes over to see if there is anything for him. 

My first duckling friend came from a litter of 14 and she was the only one who survived, sadly. 

Devoted nesting Muscovy duck didn't move for 4-5 weeks from her eggs. Amazing!

These 4 Muscovy ducklings survived from a litter of 18 ducks. They disappear! 

My closest duckling friends (They come running to me when I call them).

Daddy eating with his babies from my hand. 

Proud father 

Mama Muscovy and her ducklings.

Almost at the stage when the mama leaves them alone.

Dad and baby eating from my hand. 

They let me pet their soft fur, and come running when I call "duckies".

Family goes to water to wash down the seeds I feed them. 

Mama Mottled duck and her 5 surviving ducklings. 

Mom and dad would swim to me (when walking); and put the breaks on with their back feet !

Mom and dad watching kids go for a dip after eating the seeds I gave them. 

Coming back for more seeds! 

Mama watching over babies eating seeds that I left in the tree stump.

Egyptian Geese came to check out why ducks are gathering. Many come now. 

Newly hatched ducklings in the neighborhood. 

Just hatched Muscovy duckling; one day old. 

Mom almost looks like she is squishing the newly hatched baby lying under her.

First swim; all in a group; one day old ducklings. 

Devoted mama Muscovy enjoying first swim with 14 newborn babies. 

Egyptian geese family. I watched the babies grow to almost full grown now. 

There's nothing cuter than when they come running to see me; I call "duckies".

My very beautiful babies; almost teenager now. The mom and dad leave them alone sometimes.

Teenage Egyptian geese coming to check out the teenage Muscovy ducklings...

and then deciding to join in. 

Then they moved in to finish up the seeds. 

Teenage Muscovy with teenage Egyptian goose. 

Ducklings are at the age now when mom and dad leave them alone or with other birds. 

Nothing brings me more joy than these friendly little adorable ducklings.

Author Note:  I rescued (or so I thought) a lost duckling who was crying and crying. 

It took me 1/2 hour to catch him. I let him go when I saw a duck of his species. 

The duckling got in the water and swam over to him. The male Muscovy proceeded 

to drown the duckling. Yes, I thought I should let people know that male Muscovy 

ducks will sometimes kill/drown ducklings that are not of their own genetic line. 

I wish I knew that before. It was a terrible feeling that I won't soon forget. I did 

try to stop it by throwing sticks at the duck, but not sure how it ended up.