A Second Chance for Babette

Aloha Donor ʻOhana!

I've been waiting to share this duckling story, mostly out of a sense of protection.

A handful of months ago, our lovely Babette (as Val has named her)—or Brownie (as I like to call her)—started roosting on a clutch of eggs. It honestly took me a while to even inspect them, and by the time I finally did, I felt it was too late to remove them from her nest. Instead, I decided to let her attempt to create some more life for our little animal sanctuary.

Unfortunately, her first try wasn't meant to be. None of the eggs were viable, and they all had to be disposed of.

So when I noticed her roosting again around the beginning of May in the very same nesting area, I wanted to give her another chance.

Granted...we already have plenty of ducks here at ʻĀina Iki Ranch, and the idea of adding even more wasn't necessarily what my brain agreed with. But my heart just couldn't take that opportunity away from her. I chose to let nature run its course with a quiet sense of inner knowing that somehow everything would numerically balance itself out in the long run.

Then June rolled around.

Joshua and I welcomed our good friend Jammie to help care for the animals and land while Val enjoyed a much-needed mainland vacation. One morning, while I was out on the front lānai feeding our pond fish and pond turtle, Ms. Peek-a-Boo, I heard a brand-new sound...

Tiny little peeps coming from Babette's nesting bush.

I slowly inched my way over, trying not to disturb whatever I was about to discover. As soon as I found the perfect viewing angle, I was greeted by more tiny bobbing duckling heads than I could count.

Surprisingly, it only took a couple of days for these adorable newborns to take advantage of their exhausted mama.

Thankfully, one morning I happened to be sitting at the dining room table counting eggs when I heard those familiar peeps again—but this time they weren't coming from the nest.

I looked out the side stairwell door and spotted four tiny ducklings happily moseying between the shaded gravel carport and our "Home Team" duck run.

"You're not supposed to be here!" I laughed as I asked them where their mom was.

After a few failed attempts—they wiggle so fast for being only a couple of days old!—I finally managed to scoop all four into my arms. Holding them close against my chest, I carefully carried them back to their nest.

Poor Babette was so exhausted she didn't even notice me return the first three. But by the fourth duckling, she quickly beaked the little one right out of my hands and very sternly informed me my babysitting services were no longer needed.

The rest of June was filled with countless adorable duckling moments, especially once Mom introduced them to the beautiful pond sitting right outside their front door.

The first day they took to the water, swimming through lush mats of azolla and weaving between the floating water hyacinths, I texted Val to let her know there had officially been a duckling breach into the pond.

Her response?

"They can swim anywhere they want! Adorable!!"

And she was absolutely right. What I had initially viewed as an escape was actually the best buffet they could have asked for.

Joshua, Jammie, and I spent many mornings, afternoons, and evenings sitting on the lānai watching Babette and her babies paddle through the pond, nibble at the azolla, and disappear into tunnels of water hyacinth before popping back out again. They moved so quickly it was almost impossible to get an accurate head count, but Joshua finally determined we had welcomed ten new ducklings to the sanctuary.

Unfortunately, not all of them would get to live full lives.

One morning I found a tiny black duckling lying along their walking path. From everything I could tell, it had been accidentally trampled.

Then, shortly after Val returned home, she discovered the remains of another black duckling in the pond—most likely taken by our turtle, Ms. Peek-a-Boo.

As difficult as those losses were, they're also part of the reality of allowing animals to live natural lives.

With additional mouths to feed, a pond now completely picked clean of duckling snacks, and a slightly annoyed turtle sharing the same space, we decided it was time to create a safer setup.

Joshua and I moved one of our previous duck pools into Babette's area, filled it with fresh water and plenty of azolla, and waited for an evening when the whole family happily gathered inside for their nightly swim.

While everyone enjoyed their new pool, I went to work securing the fence line so these growing ducklings could officially move into their new, pond-free home.

Our special-needs drake, Mr. Dicky Duck, has even proven himself to be quite the loving stepdad to Babette's babies.

Thankfully, as these little ones continued growing, Mama Gaia once again seemed to have a plan.

She serendipitously connected us with a wonderful couple who had recently moved to the island and were looking to adopt drakes...something we happened to have in abundance.

One flock of six.

One flock of three.

And another flock of two.

If you think wrangling chickens is difficult...try ducks, whose name is literally "runners!"

At first Joshua and I thought we'd simply skip breakfast and lure them into kennels with food.

That plan failed spectacularly.

Then I remembered we had several long sections of metal fencing tucked away.

Joshua hauled them over, and together we built a giant funnel leading into a kennel filled with food. With our arms stretched out like giant capital Ts, we slowly herded the flock—our beloved Berm Boys—down through the funnel and into the kennel.

Success!

From there, they enjoyed one final ride in the back of our little Yoda pickup before heading off to their forever home.

I have to say...the Berm Boys have definitely upgraded!

Not only do they have wonderful new parents, but they also have an enormous yard to explore, six geese to keep them company, and—perhaps most importantly—a fantastic kiddie pool they get to enjoy every single day.

I'd say Mama Gaia made sure everyone ended up exactly where they were meant to be.

Stories like this are a beautiful reminder that caring for animals isn't always tidy or predictable. Sometimes it means celebrating ten tiny peeping ducklings. Sometimes it means mourning the two that didn't make it. Sometimes it means moving pools, rebuilding fences, growing more natural duck food than we ever thought we'd need, and trusting that somehow everything will find its balance.

Because of your support, we're able to make those choices from a place of stewardship rather than urgency. We get to give second chances, create safer spaces, improve habitats, and follow where the animals lead instead of simply doing what's easiest or cheapest. That is a gift you help provide every single day.

So from all of us here at ʻĀina Iki Ranch—Joshua, Val, myself, Babette, Mr. Dicky Duck, eight very busy ducklings, and the rest of our wonderfully feathered family—mahalo. Thank you for believing in this little sanctuary and helping us continue creating a place where life, in all its messy and miraculous forms, has the chance to flourish.

And if you'd like to help us keep building better habitats, growing more natural food sources, and caring for the next unexpected arrivals, your continued support truly makes all the difference. Every contribution—large or small—helps write the next chapter of stories like this one.

With aloha,

Marla, Joshua & Val

ʻĀina Iki Ranch 🌿