It's a Ducks Life

Since it is weather for ducks outside, I feel I should tell you about my friends....The Ducks, as well as Rooster head and the cross eyed seagulls.  The people I have met in Amsterdam have very big colourful characters, and the wild life of the city is no different......

I love getting lost on a bike ride in the city, and finding new places of wonder and meeting people.  On my second day here I set out to Flevo park to find a place where I could sit in peace and practise my guitar and learn new songs.  Last year I found a beautiful spot in the park, with an amazing seat by the river.  It had lots of passing traffic though, and was quite hard to feel as isolated as I sometimes like to feel.  So this time I was determined to find the perfect spot.  I rode all around Flevo park just looking for my new retreat.  I came accross an almost hidden path way that I couldn't resist following down.  As I got nearer my heart fluttered.  This was perfect!  A clearing that opened up to a well hidden spot away from all passers by.  A fallen trea to sit on, and the river right at my toes.  Facing East to watch sunrise, and a view of the Magneet Festival skies.  I took out my compass and marked down my location.  I completely refuse to allow a smart phone to cpature what I see, and tell me where to go.  A compass and a map is much more prefarable to me.  I sat on the tree and enjoyed the view.  I felt this was the perfect place where I could just go and learn as many new songs to busk as possible!  I am on a 'learn 2 a day'diet that is going quite well.  I started playing and singing and after about 20 minutes a family of ducks came close to inspect what was happening.  One of the reasons Spring is my favourite season is that you get to see new wildlife at its youngest, and this beautiful mother with her 6 ducklings just melted my heart.  The mother was proud and protective and shone this golden tint on her feathers that made me just smile at her beauty.  The ducklings were high squeaking, lightly coloured stumbling bundles of joy.  I was so suprised when they came right up to me, quacking and squeaking right to my feet!  I wished I had some food to give them, because they seemed hungry.  I found a corn biscuit in my pocket and broke it up into pieces for them.  They seemed to really like it and I wished I had more to give them.  So I played them a few songs and just said to myself what I always say when Amsterdam amazes me.  'GOD, I love this city!!!' I must say that about 10 times a day.  I felt I had found my perfect place to come, and was already planning to see them again tomorrow......

Money was disintigrating so I thought I needed a budget.  I figured I could live off 6 Euroes a day.  Buying a baghuette, some cheese, filling my water bottle and a bar of chocolate.  I picked some wheat bread that I thought the ducks might like and on the next day I went back.  God I was hoping they would return.  I found the place again, took out my guitar and a few minutes later I was paid a visit.  I hoped it was a different family because she only had 2 ducklings with her.  It was, I am sure.  I was throwing them some Wheat bread and they seemed to really like it.  Coming up close.  This time their Dad was there watching.  It's strange, I am no wildlife expert. But I could just tell he was the Dad.  The mother with her beautiful brown colouring, and the dad with his green neck and stern face.  Almost like he was wearing a suit and a tie.  He would stay back making sure the kids and his woman ate first.  I would throw him some aswell though, that he seemed a bit reluctant to take.. Now that's a good Dad, someone who puts their kids first.  I was enjoying watching them and feeding them, when the other family of ducks came near.  Yay!  I threw them some wheat bread too and was happy to see them.  But the mother of 2 didn't like this.  It was her feeding spot.  Before I knew it the two mothers went 'Beak to Beak'and started flapping and fighting right in front of me.  I was like 'Noooooo!  There's enough for everyone!  Calm down, calm down.'  It went on for a few minutes untill the mother of 2 retreated looking sad and defeated.  The mother of 6 stood up in the water and flapped her wings with her head up. (I think this is a victory pose, they seem to do it alot)  I was still a bit heart broken at this fight as I watched the mother of 2 swim away but keep looking back.  The family of 6 came right up to me quacking their little hearts out and taking wheat bread from my hands.  As sad as I was about the fight, I kind of understood that that is the way the world is.  Life is a fight.  You have to defend what is yours, and fight for what you think is right.  Humans are no different.  So this mother of 6 won, because she was the stronger one, she had 6 kids and even the kids were getting into the fight.  They do this thing where they put their head down like they are going to charge, and if the other doesn't flee, then they go 'Beak to Beak' or Bill to Bill I suppose.  Beak to Beak just sounds better.  I think every time I have gone there, I have ended up giving them more than I have eaten myself, but it's worth it. 

The more and more I went there, the more life I seen.  It's like a little neighbourhood.  Over in the rush's there lives a very edgy paranoid beautiful creature.  He is always there, and when I am feeding the ducks he comes for a nose.  I try to throw him some food, but he runs away from it.  Completely black, not a duck, or a seagull, but swims like a duck but has a beak and demeaner of a gull.  He has this white stripe coming down his head and a white beak that makes him very curious.  I seem to call him Rooster head, and when he swims up his neck goes back and forth like a pidgeon.  He is a funny character, that once everyone else has gone, he comes to see if there is anything left over.  He is getting a bit braver and coming closer now, but he just looks very edgy and paranoid all the time.  I love him.  Another day I was there, I was feeding them, and a pack of sea gulls came for a visit.  When a duckling was heading for a piece of wheat bread, they would swoop down and nick it from them.  One of these gulls came right in front of me and landed on a submerged log and looked me dead in the eye.  He was wonderfully bright white, with a black and grey shades.  But very rich healthy colour.  When he looked at me dead in the eye, I burst out laughing.  He was almost cross eyed.  You know those sets of eyes you get on toys, that spin around and move.  It was like that.  I swear he looked me straight in the eye, and he just had this great comedy like look about him.  I loved him straight away and said my mantra 'GOD I love this city!!'  There are so many parks and fountains,and just beautiful green getaways in the city.  There are swans everywhere, and these amazingly bright green tropical birds you see, rabbits and hares, and all sorts of happy wildlife!  The dogs all are very obedient and well behaved, and they mingle naturally and playfully with other dogs. There is a peacefulness here, and wildlife that I would be amazed to see matched by another capital city!