Eight ducklings have arrived

Last evening before dark I saw one duckling clamoring all over the mother, but too dark and hidden to get a decent photo. Early this morning it was pretty chilly outside. I saw the mother fidgeting in the nest as if trying to keep her babies warm and perhaps subdued.

Awhile later I went and checked again. It was warming up. I spied one duckling swimming around near the nest tube. That was probably the same precocious duckling that had been climbing around inside the nest tube yesterday. Maybe it hatched a bit earlier than the other.

Another while later when I checked, the momma duck was in the water with eight babies. She clucked at them a lot and tried to keep them nearby.

And she was obviously showing them how to forage. The other adult ducks weren't foraging so it was just her showing them. And they picked it up quick. When the first one was out of the nest alone, it didn't forage. Probably didn't know how. 

I notice some of the ducklings have a black cheek spot and some don't. I have no idea if that means anything. I'll update this post before dark if anything changes. I'll be surprised if all eight make it through the night. I don't know how she'll keep them safe. I doubt they can climb back up into the nest tube. Feral cats and snakes prowl. And there are hawks.  Maybe they'll stay in the water. So far the other adult ducks are leaving them alone anyway. That was my main fear, and still is.

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UPDATE: I was so curious to know how they were going to spend the night that I went out to check shortly after 7 PM. The mother was at the edge of the water fanned out on top of the ducklings. She was very vigilant. I presume in case of danger she'll get them into the water ASAP.  Any slow ones will be ... nature's way. If I recall, with our last breeding experience years ago I had a ramp going up into the nesting tube and they used that the first night. All day today she kept the babies foraging nonstop. She knows they have to eat and grow fast.