ruthhope
Free Ranging
@Djbass88 aka @Muscovy Duck Chronicles rescued two small muscovy ducklings and successfully treated their spraddle legs. When they got too big for care in his apartment, he brought them to me to care for until they were old enough to release. They did well in my bathroom and then transferred to my neighbor's lanai to be socialized with other rescues. The very skittish tiny female blossomed into a rather bossy juvenile.
I was going to release them towards the end of September into a private pond where a muscovy pair had lived on and off for 2 previous years and had successfully raised ducklings in a back yard adjoining the pond. However, delayed the release until after Hurricane Helene. The family of muscovey had already left the pond when I released the muscovy, two days after Helene passed through. The two walked around a little in the back yard and then flew off. The female onto the neighbor's roof and the drake between the two houses. A short while later the drake took off again and crash landed on the pond. He swam to the side and then had a very splashy bath in the shallows. He was joined shortly afterwards by the female who had seen it all from her roof top perch.
Then came news of Hurricane Milton. Very worrying but nothing I could do about the two scovies as they were wild by then. Initially, they did not return to the backyard for food
Well good news! The two are back having joined the family that were raised in the back yard. They were back in the garden, being fed today and I expect they will continue to come for food.
Photo 1 when the pair artived at my home
photo 2, swimming in my bath soon after arrival
Photo 3 being socialized with other muscovy
Photo 4 Socialization
Photo 5 once they could fly, roosting on high in the lanai
Photo 6 arriving at their release site
Photo 7 breaking free!
Photo 8 handsome muscovy about to depart
Photo 9, back today after Hurricane Milton
Photo 10, with the family of muscovy thst were raised in the back yard. The other juveniles are about 2 weeks older
There are more thumbnails including a little video, that i had difficulty inserting on my phone!
I was going to release them towards the end of September into a private pond where a muscovy pair had lived on and off for 2 previous years and had successfully raised ducklings in a back yard adjoining the pond. However, delayed the release until after Hurricane Helene. The family of muscovey had already left the pond when I released the muscovy, two days after Helene passed through. The two walked around a little in the back yard and then flew off. The female onto the neighbor's roof and the drake between the two houses. A short while later the drake took off again and crash landed on the pond. He swam to the side and then had a very splashy bath in the shallows. He was joined shortly afterwards by the female who had seen it all from her roof top perch.
Then came news of Hurricane Milton. Very worrying but nothing I could do about the two scovies as they were wild by then. Initially, they did not return to the backyard for food
Well good news! The two are back having joined the family that were raised in the back yard. They were back in the garden, being fed today and I expect they will continue to come for food.
Photo 1 when the pair artived at my home
photo 2, swimming in my bath soon after arrival
Photo 3 being socialized with other muscovy
Photo 4 Socialization
Photo 5 once they could fly, roosting on high in the lanai
Photo 6 arriving at their release site
Photo 7 breaking free!
Photo 8 handsome muscovy about to depart
Photo 9, back today after Hurricane Milton
Photo 10, with the family of muscovy thst were raised in the back yard. The other juveniles are about 2 weeks older
There are more thumbnails including a little video, that i had difficulty inserting on my phone!
Big thanks to you, Chronicles, and your neighbor for giving them a second chance! 
So glad they’re doing well after Milton.
