Look out Sandals Villas!

A bit of a bleak time this week sadly, the two new ducklings, who arrived a week or so ago, went out into the pen (inside a small fully wired cage) but sadly some very nasty creature got into the area in the night and managed to kill the yellow duckling through the cage.  We were all very sad about this and Mick, the Site Manager, has been tracking the culprit down to stop it coming back again.

In the meanwhile the other duckling has been coming out during the day and is then taken in again at night just in case!  The new duckling has fortunately got a bit a company in the pen, during the day, as the miniature "Silver Appleyard"  female ducks have been having a bit of a rough time in the open garden (during the mating season), so have asked to come into the pen for a rest, (yes, really)!  You can see one above where her head is recovering.  She is pictured with the new duckling, who is growing fast, they seem to be getting on just fine - let's hope it turns out to be a female, we have a few too many males at the moment!

The other bit of surprising news is that the remaining eggs in the incubator have not hatched out and therefore ducklings that we normally see now are just not around. This, alongside the fact that the crows are stealing our eggs before we get chance to sit on them, is causing some consternation.  I hear that there are now plans a foot to set some more eggs in the incubator next week so, webbed feet crossed ,we will see a new brood soon.   Also this week we had a new duck house arrive on the pond -- this one is on stilts and sits on the water -- to stop the crows walking in -- it is a deluxe villa (Sandals watch out!) and we have all been fighting about it - but as you can see from the egg in it, it has already found a new tenant!

We have had one grown up new addition this week too, a new female white duck arrived with tales of the fox absconding with her companions from her old home - she was a bit traumatized but has settled in here fine now, her owners thought it would be kinder to have her join our crowd.

As it has been Easter holidays we have had plenty of children visiting us this week and plenty of corn too.  There have been Mosaic and Pottery classes on site for the them.  There has also been plenty going on in the gardens getting ready for the red white and blue theme for the diamond jubilee and the Olympics later in the year - rumour has it that the glass blower has been making something new for it too!