Spotbill duck diary

There is a comfortable pathway along the Egawa river near my home.  It's named 'Egawa Seseragi Yuhodo (江川せせらぎ遊歩道)'.  I found spotbill duck chicks in April.  6 chicks and their mother. It was very cute!  Chick brothers' size was like a tennis ball.

April 10th, Cold/Cloudy
Six chick brothers stay close mamma. It was very cold and rainy in April. At the evening, I saw that brothers got under mamma's tummy to warm up.

April 23rd, Very cold/Rainy
Brothers got together and slept.  Mother stayed alert without a break.  It's so cold that they didn't want to go around here and there.

April 29th, Warm/Sunny

Sunny light reflected off the water.  I tried to adjust the setting on the mobile phone camera but it didn't succeed.

All 6 chicks are growing up!  According to my observation, chicks don't get bigger fast in those cold days.

I found a new family at a time.  The family of 4 chicks and mummy.  Small and cute!

May 5th, Warm/Sunny
6 brothers has grown up.  This picture don't include all 6 chicks but all ones are doing well.

4 brothers are doing well, too.

And I found new 10 chick brothers without mother.  I wonder whether 10 chicks will grow up steadily.  To begin with, can 10 eggs all hatch in the nature environment?  And where is mommy?  Small babies swim very swiftly.  They immediately go out of the sight of camera.

	May 7th, Warm/SunnyRainy 6 brothers became small ducks.  Baby's plumage has turned to adult one. 4 brothers is doing well.  Comparing to 6 brothers, they grows up rapidly.

I didn't find 10 brothers again.  Instead of that, I found 7 chick brothers without mommy.  And 5 chick brothers with mother.

I'm thinking of tottering 10 babies I saw the day before yesterday.

• 10 orphans has reduced to 7?  A stray cat ate them?  A crow kidnapped them?
• 10 chick brothers I saw are actually mixed up two groups?  The figures doesn't add up. 
• Why couldn't I find out mother the day before yesterday?

My observation will be continued...