Black-bellied Whistling Duck Mama and her ducklings enjoy the plentiful and delicious duckweed on the pond!!
Family Outing
Birder's Journey
"You must have birds in your heart before you can find them in the bushes." — John Burroughs (Journal of the Outdoor Life, v20, 1923, p. 137)
Birder's Journey 
Cute
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Agreed! They sure are!
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AMAZING!!!!! Say, can you hear them whistle? Where is the father? Sleeping, or also getting food? Does the mother protect those ducklings if predators come? Did you ever see that happen?
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What great questions, Yishai! Yes, they definitely whistle especially when flying. ☺️ The ducklings whistle in a quiet little cheeping sound. Both the mother and the father absolutely protect the ducklings; in fact, this could very well be the father, to tell the truth. We very often see two adults nearby watching over the young, with one acting as a ‘sentinel’. I’ve seen adult whistling ducks aggressively chase away other birds by stretching their necks out and squawking with open bills, looking quite intimidating, but I’ve never actually seen them in danger of a gator or other large predator.
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Isn’t that where the crawdads sing?
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Absolutely…!
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How exciting to see the chicks too! They look so cute and striking with their strips.
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Yes!! Everyone is so excited to see them back again. Lucky for us we see them here every year!
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So cute – great photo!
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Easy to capture a pretty good image of these very photogenic ducks!!
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A great photo of this feathered family enjoying a swim
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Thank you~! Hope you’re having a beautiful day!
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Good morning, you’re welcome!
It’s a beautiful day everyday!
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Good for you. Thank you for sharing this beautiful family portrait.
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And thank YOU, Tanja, for stopping by to enjoy them with me!
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Great family portrait! The duckweed reminds of split pea soup. My Mom used to make that kind of soup. Thank you, Carol. 🙂
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Lol! The duck weed sure is thick these days, HJ! Several of the ponds are so covered that you can’t even tell there’s water underneath!
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Beautiful little family! All that duckweed will keep them busy for a good while.
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Haha, so true, Ann. They have really had a duckweed feast lately!
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There is not much that can be more adorable than baby pictures! And when those pictures are baby ducks – well, that’s just cuteness taken to a whole ‘nother level!
Great portrait!
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I totally agree – a bit of cuteness overload here!
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Loving this family portrait!!
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Thanks, me too! They’re so sweet together!
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