The Happy Ducklings

I had occasion to be out and about on campus on this very fine spring day. There was plenty of sunshine, and campus never looks any lovelier than it does this time of year. We're heading into graduation weekend, and students are moving out of the dorms. Everywhere I walked, I encountered graduates in their caps and gowns, posing for photos.

The neatest and at the same time strangest thing I may have seen all day was a squirrel rolling in the daffodils. I admit that this is something that I have never seen before, and I presume it had something to do with squirrel courting behavior, or perhaps just that almost adrenaline-like burst of pure glee that you get when springtime hits. You know: that full-hearted, joyful feeling where you just want to sing and dance and jump about because you're so happy that your body can barely contain it!

That squirrel may have been the happiest creature I saw all day. However, these ducklings came in a close second. I had read that the male mallards are not very involved in the duckling-raising process. And indeed, I've seen many mallard moms leading their broods around, looking totally overwhelmed at trying to take care of a half-dozen to a dozen ducklings with no help whatsoever.

This little family was different, though. Both the mama duck and what I presumed to be the father were very involved in parenting. The male waddled along behind her and the brood, kept an eye on the little floofy-butts, and watched over the mama and babies as they napped in a shady corner of the duck pond.

The ducklings were absolutely charming. And I will tell you one basic rule of photography: on a day chock-full of beautiful and amazing things, if you take even a single photo of ducklings, the duckling shot will win. Because ducklings always win! They're like little terrorists that way. Know this before you shoot. Give in to the cuteness. You will anyway.

And that one little duckling down in center, with its mouth hanging open - that one clearly suffers from an excess of personality. This family of ducklings is large enough to form their own social group (this was only about half the brood). The ducklings almost look like they are at a party. And when you are a duckling, isn't every day a party? Those two in the back are having a private conversation; or perhaps they are plotting world domination. The ducklings are standing still in this photo, sort of, as much as ducklings do. But mischief and mayhem are about to break out anew. You just know it.

The song to accompany this photo of happy ducklings is Pharrell Williams, with Happy. It depicts a bunch of really happy dogs (and one cat!) at the beach. The cat featured is Didga, the world's best skateboarding cat. As an added bonus, I've included a link to the skateboarding clip of Didga, which I guarantee will amaze and entertain you!

Now, just in case this photo has set you off on some kind of duckling bender, and you find you need more, more, MORE ducklings, I will indulge you further. Here are a few of my favorite duckling Blips:

Soak Up the Sun

Lullaby for a Duckling

The Emperor of Floof!