The Pukerau Menagerie—Guard Geese and the Great Duck Explosion

Bruce the Sebastapol Goose and his Girls

Every good country property needs a cast of characters, and it didn't take long for ours to arrive. Aside from the trusty heritage chocks we carted all the way from Dunedin, we soon welcomed Bruce the goose and his girls to the fold. Bruce and his ladies made their presence known very loudly from day one—honestly, they are better than any guard dog on the planet.

Not long after, we added a small line of Indian Runner ducks to the landscape, watching them waddle in single file up the green slopes.

Our first Indian Runner Ducks, I thought I had my ducks in a row.

For a while, they were just a charming addition to the property. But as my husband’s health required more of my focus towards the end, the ducks took matters into their own webbed feet. I kept them fed, and they did their own thing. They would vanish out into the landscape, completely off the grid, only to reappear a few weeks later looking very pleased with themselves—with long lines of ducklings trailing in tow.

Before I quite realized what math was happening behind the scenes, my original ten ducks decided to stage a population explosion. Suddenly, I looked out across the paddock and realized my quiet little flock had turned into 95 ducks.

Looking down the hill at an ocean of white feathers streaming toward the church, you can't help but laugh. It's safe to say the wildlife has completely taken over, and Pukerau is all the more lively for it!

And then there was a few more