It’s a sunny, going to be hot soon, morning and I am sat in Cafe du Canard, with a cup of coffee. Neige, my almost imprinted call duck, is in the little nearby pond, asleep. In watching her, I wonder do ducks dream?
The other ducks are foraging around my walled garden. Neige often prefers to be near me. (She keeps hoping I will turn into a real bonified duck.) So when the other ducks take to wandering about she likes to come to join me and hang out.
Duck Fact
She is simply floating, and I can see she has both eyes closed. A little known fact is that ducks can let half their brain sleep, closing one eye, whilst the other half stays on alert for danger. It is actually rare that a duck will truly sleep, with both eyes closed, unless in a flock. Then the outside ducks keep one eye open, whilst those within the grouping can close both eyes.
In other words, they will only do it when another duck stands guard, that is, when they feel safe. So in affect, I am Neige’s guard duck and she is able to close both eyes. It is wonderful to sit here and simply watch her. To see her relax completely, makes my heart warm.
Duck Dreams
And in her sleep, she moves about. She reaches out now and then with her beak. And twitches her head a little. Like cats or dogs do when they are asleep. Which makes me certain that ducks dream. Is she dreaming of a mountain of worms she can stuff her beak in? Of playing in mud puddles?
She never stays asleep very long. A minute at most at a time. Usually she is interrupted by another duck coming to visit, or even oust her from the pond. But she simply takes the interlude in stride and heads to one of the feeding points for a quick munch.
And as the morning wears on and nap time approaches, she heads back once again to her little pond. Ready to close her eyes once more. I feel very privileged to be so trusted as her guard duck and to be able to watch ducks dream.
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