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Me ducks are nesting. Or trying tae...in among the still fairly bare dog roses, they gather wee bits o` twig and dried hay and weed mixed wi` the odd bit o` binder twine. Then they try tae build their nest and one o` them hunkers doon atop it, and starts laying.
A` fine and well. Then come the crows. I`m no ower fond o` crows...thieving brutes they are, opportunists wi` a canny eye for the vulnerable, and if a sitting duck doesnae count as vulnerable, I dinnae ken what is!
So I was a peedie bit riled tae watch the nearest nesting duck come off the nest tae gaun tae the drinker, and a bloody big black crow swoop in frae naewhar tae lift one o` the duck eggs up in twa claws and fly off ower the field wi` it!
Oh, I was fair riled....no sae much as the puir duck though, who ran back tae the nest mak`ing a fair racket which brought half a dozen o` the other ducks tae see what was happening.
And she settled doon again, and her cronies waddled off aboot the garden tae nudge the earth for slugs and grubs and grain. And the thieving crow cam` back again, wi` one o` his ain buddies, and hopped aboot in front o` the sitting duck, wha` once more let oot a hiss and quack and brought the other ducks back at a run, and it was fine tae see them a` head at full duck tilt straight for the crows, who, tae gie them their due, stood their ground til the last minute, then took off ower the field.
Well, since then, they are still hanging aroond waiting til the wee duck gets off for another drink or a feed, and keeping an eye on the four other duck nests aboot the garden. But the wee sitting duck has her bodyguards nearby, and they set up a racket when the crows come ower near.
There`s a Scots saying, "shoot the crow", tae mean gaun awa`. But me, I am thinking it should be taken a peedie bit more literally meself. I ken crows hae tae eat tae live as well. But when they`re eating me future ducks, then they`re on dangerous territory.
I`m no ower fussed aboot the loss o` a few duck eggs...every year we always get some twa tae three dozen ducklings, aroond half o` which mak it tae adultduckhood...the rest succumbing tae crows or blackbacks (wha` eat them doon whole!) or weather or neglective motherhood.
But it fair irks me tae see the distress o` the nesting ducks at the harrying crows.

Scarecrows, by the way, just dinnae work. I hae had one in me garden for a whiles noo, complete wi` coat and hat and ootstretched arms....the last time I looked, he had a row o` sparrows lined up all ower those arms and blackbird on his hat!