Ugly ducklings...

Paradise ducklings start out being very cute little black and white balls of fluff. When they reach teenager stage it all changes and they become what I consider ugly ducklings! Went for a walk this afternoon and found this family of Paradise ducks.

Heretaunga Park

Spring is definitely in the air at Heretaunga Park right now. Everywhere you look there are ducklings. They were happy to sit around near the children playing in the park and happy to have me photograph them. It wasn't until a dog came bounding past that they decided that being out in the water with mum and dad was the best place to be.

I was quite delighted to see these little black and white ducklings. This family of ducks are Putangitangi, or Paradise Shelducks and the ducklings are just gorgeous. They were a little more skittish than the others but with a dog on the other side of the stream they decided that I was the lessor of the two evils. Both parent birds were extremely protective of their young.