Could Not Believe What I Witnessed!

[vfem]

A week ago with discovered my Muscovy had ducklings. She came home with 3 ducklings we could not catch. A day or so passed, noticed only 2 ducklings! The next day after hours of chasing we managed to catch one. We tried to catch the other and couldn't. Today we decided to try again because she brought the last one up to my garden about 10 feet from the water's edge. I went in and got some food for mama. My husband, our friend, my daughter and her 2 girls all stood outside waiting on me, as I walked out... total shock... a Blue HEron comes up the pond's bank starts attacking mama, scoops up the baby and then takes off across the pond where it eats the duck!!!!???

I'm still in shock, I did not think a heron would eat a duck? Don't they just eat fish I asked my husband 100 times! We were all just blown away by that one. Seriously, I wonder if that bird ate the other missing one?!

Anyways, so now the lone baby sits in a dog kennel and peeps.

We're trying to find her a home where she won't be alone, I can't give her back to mama, she won't survive!

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=4601373#p4601373

That's where I have her available for anyone interested.

 

[teresa-78]

Sadly Herons do eat ducklings, I have seen it on many wildlife programs, it shocked me the first time I watched it on TV, as I didnt think they ate ducklings, they also eat frogs ect anything small enough to eat

so sorry about your loss

 

[Sweetfolly]

Quote:
Yeah, I remember reading awhile back that heron's eat ducklings.

From http://www.ducks.org/Opening_Day/DuckFacts/3919/AmazingWaterfowlFacts.html:

In one study on the survival of wood duck ducklings, great blue herons ate 10 of 48 ducklings fitted with radio transmitters. When a researcher discovered that one of the transmitter signals was originating from a live heron, the biologist used his receiver to track the heron to its roost site, where it regurgitated the transmitter.

I was surprised too. I'm so sorry you had to watch it though.

We saw a hawk take a bird that was eating birdseed on the ground under our bird-feeder once. It was awful for the bird, but is was kind of neat to witness, you know? It was nature, fierce and terrible, but it was spectacular too.

 

[vfem]

I've seen hawks do their thing, but man.... I thought those herons were these pretty majestic fish eaters! I'm in AWE!

But then again, moving here from the city 2 years ago, I've learned a lot about nature that just blows my mind. I'm thinking of buying the discovery channel (maybe it was something else) movie documentary thing called "EARTH". Lets see what else shocks me!?

 

[redhen]

So sad.. sorry.

There was just another thread about this a few weeks back.,...

 

[Chickies-duckies-etc]

Sort of off topic, but - a great aid to help catch those fast moving balls of fluff on roller ball feet (that is how it seems) is a butterfly net. Not expensive and work great for the smaller ducklings, chicks, etc. A couple of years ago, a muscovy duckling got out of its pen and gave me a great chase. In and out of the pasture fencing, etc. To make it more dramatic I have cats that hunt. It FINALLY stopped for a bit under a plant, I saw a cat ready to pounce which gave me added incentive, and my net got to it before the cat. WHEW!!!! I always keep at least one of those nets around for that reason. Oh, and a big "fisherman's" fish net works great for the grown up wily ducks and chickens.

 

[FenDruadin]

Oh, no! I am so sorry! That really, seriously stinks. I had no idea either--but I'll bet the same blue heron ate the other one. They are smart birds and come back to where there is food--a friend of mine noticed one finishing up the last of the fish and frogs and tadpoles in her little backyard pond one afternoon, and when she restocked he came right back and wiped her out again.

I am Charlotte, NC--not sure how far that is for you--but I happen to have two-day-old ducklings for $5 each as well as some three-week-old ducklings for $6 each. They're slightly younger than yours, but ducklings a week apart in age can safely be kept together (someone came today for ducklings and put them in with her week-olds, and they are getting along great).

I can't offer to take your duckling, because I already have more birds than I strictly have room for. But I'd be glad to sell you a couple companions! Mine are Indian Runners, so it's a different breed, but they'll be very cute with your muscovies, lol.

Anyway--I am so sorry for your loss. I hate that you had to watch, but at least you know what happened now, so you can prevent it. I am nervous now about the heron that fishes at our pond, too. I am pretty careful not to leave ducklings outside unsupervised, but obviously even supervised ducklings are not always safe.