Day 2 (Monday, June 18th, 2012): Duck Sitting Ghalita

A visit from Aunt E.

Ghala was uncertain what was happening during her first day being duck sat. Everything was new to her and it was clear she missed Adry. I could see this, but didn't know what to do other than wait for Ghala to become more familiar with her surroundings. At least she seemed to take to me right away, exchanging peeping sounds with me on the first day and continuing to trust me on day two.

     Day two brought a visitor, my sister E., known as Aunt E. to the waterfowl family here. Ghala sat calmly on E.'s lap for a while as E. commented on how beautiful she is. We talked about Ghala's features as a half mallard/half muscovy, about how she didn't have a red face or a little red bump on her nose. 

     Adry had been worried about how Ghala would do during the night, but we made it without a hitch, though I did clean her bedding first thing due to some escapee turdlings who decided they wanted to embark out of the realm of the duck diaper. 

Ghala stays alert in a new environment.

     Ghala hung out in the yard as I did chores, but didn't seem comfortable exploring. Instead she watched me from the safety of the deck, tipping her head and making a small alarm that sounds much like the word "What" whenever she saw the shadow of a bird passing overhead.

     I found a large strawberry in the garden and tore chunks out of it, offered it to Ghala, since Adry told me she likes berries, but she refused it. I ate it and found it was rather tart, and so thought that might be why she didn't eat it.

Ghala and her "Poo" blanket.

     Inside the house I took Ghala's favorite blanket and spread it on the sectional where she preferred to perch. I hoped this would give her some comfort and a feeling that not everything in her world had changed. She spent the evening there, "munching the air" as she likes to do, Adry says, for hours. And, finally, when it was time for bed, Ghala wasn't too happy about being carried or put in her crate. I hoped this would get better as she settled in.