Moved to an area with a duckpond

[TheDuckPond]

Good morning

I've recently moved to an area with a pond on the estate which is right in front of my house. When we originally moved we had roughly 25 ducks, for the last few weeks we had around 6 but now I feel like they're picking up again as we have anywhere between 10-15. There's some new ducks around and someone has said one of them is a Mandarin duck which is pretty smart.

Why would the numbers go down and then pick up again? Also, will they have ducklings do you think? We haven't seen any yet but people say they tend to breed every spring?

I've tried looking around the area for where the ducks may be nesting or where they might go to but I can't seem to locate them anywhere

Thank you

 

[Miss Lydia]

Hi and welcome to the duck forum. Mallard females blend in so well with their surroundings you may never find their nests which is a good thing since predators will be looking too. But as soon as they hatch all their ducklings you'll see mama lead them right into the water.

 

[TheDuckPond]

No couldn't find them anywhere. Which might not be a bad thing for the ducklings survival when they're born.

Need to get some food & look after the ducklings as much as I can! What food do ducklings eat in particular?

 

[Miss Lydia]

Wild mallards eat what ever mama shows them is safe to eat. Most likely bugs and duck pond vegetation. I am not sure they'd eat the feed we buy for our domestic ducks unless they were being kept as pets and didn't have any choice. Alot of members have domestic Mallards as pets though so maybe others would know.
@MasterOfClucker

 

[Isaac 0]

Good morning

I've recently moved to an area with a pond on the estate which is right in front of my house. When we originally moved we had roughly 25 ducks, for the last few weeks we had around 6 but now I feel like they're picking up again as we have anywhere between 10-15. There's some new ducks around and someone has said one of them is a Mandarin duck which is pretty smart.

Why would the numbers go down and then pick up again? Also, will they have ducklings do you think? We haven't seen any yet but people say they tend to breed every spring?

I've tried looking around the area for where the ducks may be nesting or where they might go to but I can't seem to locate them anywhere

Thank you

If you are in the US, its probably a male Wood duck, not a Mandarin. If they think the pond is a safe area to raise their young they might, setting up duck nesting boxes will encourage them even more. That depends on your location, up here in Iowa we have a good month before we start seeing ducklings/goslings around. Yes, they breed in the springtime.

I suggest you stop walking around looking for their nest, there is a good chance you will make them feel unsafe by your close presence, which may make them leave the area. There is no need to feed them, they are wild birds capable of feeding themselves. Feeding them often will make them depend more on you for food, which is not a good thing.

 

[TheDuckPond]

Does anybody know what these are? I think the top is a mandarin & the bottom is a goldeneye?

The mandarin has been around quite a bit recently but this is the first time I've seen the other.

 

[Isaac 0]

Beautiful !

That's a Mandarin pair.

 

[TheDuckPond]

Oh nice so male and female then. Which is male?

I've noticed that ducks tend to stick in pairs a lot actually

 

[Miss Lydia]

Aren’t they gorgeous ❤

 

[Isaac 0]

The male is the top one.