Interaction with wild ducks

[fastrnrik]

So yesterday I looked back to where the pond is and saw all the ducks & geese standing on top of pond bank carrying on. At first I figured they wanted to eat again(they ALWAYS want eat! LOL). As I walked down to them I noticed they were all looking in the pond and their noises were kind of an alarmed call sound. I figured an alligator had come to visit, which happens from time to time. They all stand out on the bank & squak while I remve the gator. Kinda funny actually. As I got closer I see a pretty little wood duck drake swimming around in "their" pond. I was happy to see it, as we have a lot of them around here, but we don't see them often. Once I walked closer, the wood duck flew away and all my ducks & geese rushed back in water, making all sorts of noise for their having been inconvenienced LOL.
Jokes aside, do domestic ducks and wild ducks generally mix or should I say do the domestic ducks tolerate the wild visitors? I ask because every winter we usually get several hooded mergansers that stop here in our pond for the winter and I was curious what might happen this year? (I've had our ducks for just a few months). I never reaaly thought about wild ducks vs domestic ducks interacting so I was just wondering. Thanks.

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

ours all tolerate the cranes, spoonbills, egrets, ibis, red belly tree ducks and mallards pretty well.

here are some of our wild visitors

 

[fastrnrik]

I am in Ocala FL, so not too far from you. You seem to have more waterfowl than we do. We don't see spoonbills very often, and I've never seen that red belly duck. Are you near the refuge in Merrit Island? We haven't had the cranes come this year. I love them. We had one coming here a few years ago that was so friendly, He would follow me around the yard much like our turkey does. It was awesome. My ducks seem to tolerate the local water birds, various egrets, ibis, etc, etc., however I do notice they squak some at the big blue herons when they stop by. This was the first wild duck that I've seen in with them though. I'm sure they'll get used to it and be fine with them. Thanks for the reply.

 

[polskituft]

My ducks love to play with the wild ones in are stream.

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

Fast we are 3-5 miles away from the gates of the space center. Lots of fly by wild waterfowl for sure here. We have been known to have 20+ mallards, 10-15 spoonbills, heron, storks ect. We have 3 breeds of hawk and the bald eagles too from the preserve at the space center.