Mr and Mrs Verynervous

 
One day in late April 2002 Fred called to tell me that Mr & Mrs Duck were outside so I could go and feed them, but when I opened the door they both got up and started running away. I was really concerned, because the drake was also limping and I wondered if somebody had hurt them so that they had lost their nerve. Normally Mrs Duck comes up and waits while I put food in the dish for her, and often feeds from my hand. I realised that I hadn't shut the sitting room door properly and I hoped Jenny, our cat, hadn't got out and was bothering them. She's not usually interested in going out - only in going upstairs (which she's not allowed to do) so she can sit in my sock box under our bed. I went upstairs and put my hand into the sock box. There was something warm and furry in it. Jenny obviously wasn't outside upsetting the ducks!

Mr and Mrs Verynervous 2002
Mr and Mrs Verynervous


I finally realised that these just couldn't be our ducks. Usually we can distinguish between them quite easily, but it turned out that these were look-alikes. Sure enough, Mr & Mrs Duck turned up later in the evening. Both pairs continued to visit, and the Verynervouses are no longer nervous. We can now tell them apart from Mr and Mrs Duck because Mrs Verynervous is smaller and Mr Verynervous has a wider neckband and a limp.