ducks

These ducks are dressed better than us! 

Butchy and Moko, the elegant pet ducks of Japan, get dressed in Kimonos and head off to the shrine "Naki-Iegamo Jinja" for "Shichigosan". 

Duck owners, RyuzoArts clarified in the description, "Shichigosan is the festival for children who are 3, 5 and 7 years-old. We pray their health and growth in shrines." (What about 4 and 6 year old's? Are they excluded from the festivities? Seems odd... punny, no?)

Butchy is dressed in the black Hakama, and Moko in a pink kimono with a ribbon.  

Don't they look adorable? 

'The ducks have won'!

The French court ruled few days ago that a flock of around 60 ducks and geese on a small farm can keep on quacking, rejecting a neighbor's complaint that the birds' racket was making their life a misery.

The court ruled that the noise from the flock kept by retired farmer, Dominique Douthe, in southwestern France, was within acceptable limits, broadcaster France 3 said.

"The ducks have won," Douthe told Reuters after the court decision. "I'm very happy because I didn't want to slaughter my ducks."

The complaint was brought by Ms. Douthe's neighbor, who moved from the city around a year ago into a property about 50 meters away from the enclosure. The neighbor's lawyer claimed the noise exceeded permissible levels and prevented the neighbor from enjoying their garden or sleeping with their house windows open.

The dispute is the latest in a series of court cases that have seen rural French traditions, especially farmyard noises, challenged by new residents.

Abort mission! Abort! Abort! 

In an exciting 29 second-clip, filled with drama, a herd of ducks storm out into the cold snowy outdoors...only to regret the decision immediately after. 

You've probably heard the phrase, "lucky duck," and in this case, these ducklings really are quite lucky! Terry Hill and Cathy Hogg, who both run the New Forest Home Care Companions in Fordingbridge, heard a mother duck crying and sprung straight into action! 

Mr Hill told BBC News, "Every year there's a duck that nests in the neighbor's garden and every year they come down the road to a stream in our garden but there are also two drains outside. Usually we put cardboard over the drain to stop them falling down but this year we missed it. We took up the two manhole covers and used a hanging basket to get two out. The mother wouldn't leave and stayed there until we got them all. Initially she was alarmed but then she realized were trying to help her."

Thank you Mr Hill and Mrs Hogg's for your quick response! Watch the video below:

Nothing to see here, just a couple adorable ducklings on lily-pads trying to stay out of the water. It's surprising the lily-pads can hold their weight, babies or not. But if you want to decide which chick is the cutest, you'll have to check out this list of the top 10, and make the decision for yourself.