Not your usual dog walking story

PucciNPoni

PucciNPoni

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So, just home from a holiday in the highlands with my three poodles. Did miles and miles of walking, got the sore legs to prove it.

However the most surreal moment of the entire experience was being chased by a rather large flock of Mallards. On foot.

Went up a logging road and my hubby and I saw a single duck on the path behind us. No big deal, til it started to follow us. Thought it was amusing/cute. Dogs never really bothered, so focused on their ball and the path ahead.

Turned around when we heard more quacks, to see ten ducks following us. Still a fair distance away to not be a concern.

Kept walking, perhaps even picked up the pace, and then there were maybe 50...which turned in to more and more - and the faster we walked, the faster they ran/waddled. As we climbed the road, we could see behind us what looked like a river of ducks behind us. We stopped for a breather, and the ducks promptly caught up, some even flying in to catch up from the back of the pack/herd/flock lol

Eventually my husband shoo'd them back the way from which they came, because we were still climbing and didn't really want the dogs to be tempted in to chasing them (they were on leads but wanted to let them off as I find climbing and having multiple dogs on lead hard work).

Who knew that Mallards would be so...determined? LOL
 
Brilliant! Shame you didn't get photos....what do you think they'd have done if they had caught up with you? Mugged you for the sandwiches maybe?
 
I love mallards we have a pair that will sit in my fields and they swim on our pond I used to see them a lot until this year the female seemed to be on her own and I have hardly seen her since she lost her mate.

I really love poodles as well how many do you have? sorry just read you have 3 try and put the pictures on would love to see them :)
 
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Pinkvboots said:
I love mallards we have a pair that will sit in my fields and they swim on our pond I used to see them a lot until this year the female seemed to be on her own and I have hardly seen her since she lost her mate.

I really love poodles as well how many do you have? sorry just read you have 3 try and put the pictures on would love to see them :)
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I know where she can find a mate LOL

Though to be fair, it did look like there were few drakes in proportion to the number of hens.....

I'll try to fight with PB a little later. It's just one big slow moving advertisement these days :(
 
Ha ha sounds hilarious. I had a similar experience in the Highlands a few years ago ... but it was Highland cattle and not so funny!

Whereabouts were you? I have just come back from a week walking in the Cairngorms.
 
Would love to see that, the link just goes to your FB page. You can copy pics from FB but I will let someone who underatands it tell you how.
 
They must have been after something haha :D What a funny experience!

In regards to photos - if they're on FB you can copy the image address and get them on here. If you're on a computer, open the pic on FB and right-click and select copy image address, then on H&H past the address with [ IMG] (at the start) and [ /IMG] (at the end).

If you're on a tablet I believe you can tap on the pic and open the image full screen and then copy the image address that's in the URL bar at the top and do the same thing in H&H
 
Faracat said:
No. :(

Photobucket has died and unless you are prepared to pay a rather large sum of money to temporarily resurrect it, it would probably be easier to sign up to an alternative eg imgur or flickr.
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Forgot all about Flickr to be honest - and within seconds it uploaded a pile - so much better than photobucket ever was!
 
Pinkvboots said:
I love mallards we have a pair that will sit in my fields and they swim on our pond I used to see them a lot until this year the female seemed to be on her own and I have hardly seen her since she lost her mate.

I really love poodles as well how many do you have? sorry just read you have 3 try and put the pictures on would love to see them :)
Click to expand...

now that I've got flickr up and running - just for you :)


The old man
659A9316 Dana poodle after [472141] by Dana Grant, on Flickr

The crazy bitch, sans her show coat and now sporting her play suit
gonetomr by Dana Grant, on Flickr


The wee man - after a day at SKC last month
7m after SKC by Dana Grant, on Flickr

Couple months ago, SUPER POODLE

evilflyer by Dana Grant, on Flickr
 
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Anyway, there are hundreds more birds than what the photos show - they were coming like a river up the road lol but these are the cropped and edited ones for clarity.
 
I expect those ducks are used to people, young and hungry tbh. I have the same thing in my garden with my young ducks (broody raised so not imprinted). Funny though! rather ducks than Highlands with calves at foot (remembering back to a hike in Iona with a puppy Quarrie in tow).
 
WorkingGSD said:
Ha ha sounds hilarious. I had a similar experience in the Highlands a few years ago ... but it was Highland cattle and not so funny!

Whereabouts were you? I have just come back from a week walking in the Cairngorms.
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We were just outside of Blairgowrie, Glenshee area.

Really lovely and peaceful there
 
MotherOfChickens said:
I expect those ducks are used to people, young and hungry tbh. I have the same thing in my garden with my young ducks (broody raised so not imprinted). Funny though! rather ducks than Highlands with calves at foot (remembering back to a hike in Iona with a puppy Quarrie in tow).
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I did think they were hungry -but we weren't even prepared with a snack for ourselves let alone the ducks. It was just a little leg stretch up the logging road. However no way would I have been prepared with enough snacks for that lot !

There was a rather large house/castle near by that looked inhabited and when we got up high enough we could see a pond with several ducks in it. I think they might have been raised there perhaps?
 
We have mallards put down on our pond for shooting. No idea if that would work with a river in Scotland but ours come up the bank when they see you arrive to feed them. If you shout 'Morning Duckies' as you arrive at the pond they all quack like mad. They look about the same age as ours.
Just saw there were ponds there. :-)
Lovely photos and gorgeous dogs. The poodle killing the bear looks extremely dangerous!
 
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