The white duck died (prolapsed oviduct), so we have added three muscovy ducks and a drake. The mallard is sitting on some eggs, somewhere, but I doubt they'll be fertile.
One thing that I can attribute to the ducks is that the pond remains cloudy. It seems that their paddling about stirs up the bentonite. That is a bit annoying, but, just maybe, there's a side benefit? And I get the impression that any sort of larvae (mosquito or otherwise) get gobbled up, enthusiastically.
I have the vague idea that the unfortaunte leakage that started some time back has slowed. I wonder if the paddling ducks are causing a drift of suspended bentonite particles towards where the slow leakage is happening?
We had a damaging cyclone here, on Good Friday eve. It's also (now) the beginning of the irrigation season. Because the micro-sprinkler irrigation was rendered unusable in the cyclone-hit woodlot, that 6 hour cycle pumps into the pond, for now, three nights a week. That will certainly keep the levels up.
Had a blue heron drop in, briefly, as well as a brace of paradise ducks, once or twice. Perhaps some avian gossip will spread the word that here is a safe haven?
Still ruminating on a floating island of flowering aquatic plants as the next to-do thing.
