Dabbling ducklings…

mom still has seven ducklings (two were diving for food)

What once were ten became eight and now seven. We may never know what happened to the three missing ducklings, but it's something we witness often on Spring Lake. When the tiger muskies were more prevalent, even fewer ducklings survived. The food chain may be here to stay, but there's a real sense of satisfaction in seeing the majority of this little family intact...and thriving. Known as "dabbling ducks," mallards filter-feed at surface water, tip up in shallow water, and occasionally dive in deeper water. They're omnivores, eating a diet of both plants and animals (peeper tadpoles are probably on the menu in May and June). And apparently they enjoy the safflower and thistle seed at the Caskey bird feeder. Just ducky!