- Dec 10, 2014
- 24
- 0
- 24
I have a wild backyard female Muscovy duck I call Girlie who built a nice feathered nest under a bush beneath my front window. For about a week she came to it a lot and set it up nicely and maintained it, and even sat there a while. I thought she was laying.
For the last week and a half she has been sitting on it full time with a break a day to eat . Males sometimes guard the area and mate with her. Sometimes several one after another. At times right on the nest where she is sitting!
When she leaves I have been checking the nest and there are no eggs. Once I found a round white rock, and once a snail shell both of which I removed.
So, what's going on here? Is it normal for a duck to sit on a nest constantly even when it is empty? Is she hoping to lay some eggs and practicing for that event? Has she just found a comfortable spot to rest?
Here is a photo of Girlie on her nest and one with a male guarding her while she sits (you can see her in the background).
And here is the empty nest with all its feathers. It would be a nice place for some eggs to hatch....
For the last week and a half she has been sitting on it full time with a break a day to eat . Males sometimes guard the area and mate with her. Sometimes several one after another. At times right on the nest where she is sitting!
When she leaves I have been checking the nest and there are no eggs. Once I found a round white rock, and once a snail shell both of which I removed.
So, what's going on here? Is it normal for a duck to sit on a nest constantly even when it is empty? Is she hoping to lay some eggs and practicing for that event? Has she just found a comfortable spot to rest?
Here is a photo of Girlie on her nest and one with a male guarding her while she sits (you can see her in the background).
And here is the empty nest with all its feathers. It would be a nice place for some eggs to hatch....
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