Oh no! :(

[desertdarlene]

A couple of great blue herons is setting up a nest right above where all the ducks like to feed on the same tree that the wood ducks like to hang out in. I hope I don't see any ducklings get eaten by them. Their babies will be hatching/growing about the same time that the ducks will start to hatch their eggs.

Last year, there were 15 ducklings hatched in that immediate area and another 5 that often visited close by. Most ducks have their babies in another part of the lake. Cinnamon and Ducky's mate, both first time moms, are acting like they're going to nest near there, too. I will try to get photos of them before they "disappear".

Oh well, I guess that's nature. In the meantime, I get to see some herons grow up.

I think the killdeer will probably be OK, the herons don't seem to "see" their chicks or they're too fast (after they're three or four days old).

 

[sandcat]

hopefully they will all live in peace together

 

[destinduck]

I truly hate to say it but they will eat every baby duck they see. The blue heron population is growing leaps and bounds. Its got real bad here. They are protected and usually nest high in the trees so hardly any predators. So watch the population explode. Here it is insane (not kidding)

 

[desertdarlene]

Oh, that's really sad because I'm so looking forward to Ducky's ducklings. Oreo and the domestic ducks also hang out there, but runners usually don't go broody, so I doubt I'll ever seen ducklings from her, anyway. And, I've never seen the domestic ducks with any ducklings before. Cinnamon may go back to the other side of the lake where I've been seeing her until lately. I just hope that the mothers can defend their babies from them, but all the future moms near there are first-timers, so I don't have much hope. I just hope I don't see it happen.

We only have two blue herons, one black-crowned night heron and two green herons there right now. One of the two herons has been there about nine months and I didn't see any ducklings go missing while he (and his mom) visited last summer. Nor did any killdeer chicks go missing even though I saw him right about two feet away from them.

But, they are building their nest in "grackle and crow central", so, perhaps, it might fail on its own. However, that might mean they will build the next one in an area where I can't keep an eye on them.

 

[destinduck]

Yea dont get me wrong I like herons. Beautiful birds. The night herons and green herons mainly eat fish and some frogs. I dont think they would eat a duckling and mom can protect them. Hopefully you have a good balance and thats what its all about. But if anybody needs any you could get all you want here (they walk right up to you) Not natural! Thats how many we have. Sounds like you might be okay... for now

Im just bummed cause they eat all the baby ducks in our harbour. But our fish and wildlife like it because they dont want any mallards in florida (seriously)We can get a FREE permit to collect any eggs, ducklings or adults from the wild. The catch is for eating only. or if you want to destroy the nest period and no im not making any of this up. You get the permits online. Unreal huh. The main reason is they dont want them interbreeding with our resident mottled duck and black duck. YOU know how mallards are....always in love.

So who knows.

 

[KansasKid]

Ha! thanks for mentioning the green heron. I had no idea what it looked like so i google imaged searched it. for the past 2 summers i have a pair that nests near my pond and for the life of me i couldn't figure out what they were.

 

[desertdarlene]

Wow! I've been hearing about Florida Fish and Wildlife being harsh on ducks, lately.

We have a lot less ducks here now since they started telling people to stop feeding them, so there will probably be less ducklings this year compared to last year. We have lots of cover for them there, but that doesn't help when mom's not attentive and the ducklings go wandering off everywhere on their own. We have tons of coots here, too and they have more babies than anyone.

The heron with the nest is pretty much a baby himself, less than a year old and his nest is near where the turkey vultures and red-tails like to hunt. We shall see. I worry my heart out every year about the lake babies, but usually it all works out OK.

 

[wonderpup]

Destinduck is spot on with how the herons behave around here. I always thought that they were normally like that but apparently not. Some of tourist think they are friendly... hahaha. Not so much, mostly hoping for a meal I think. I know alot of people try and feed them. My husband would be one of those people. He cannot see a bird or squirrel without trying to see if he has something to toss it's way in the form of food. Makes me hate going down to the water for a picnic. One of these days I'm gonna lose an eye or something to a seagull

Anyway I didn't know that about the free permits, that's kind of crazy in a way. I was aware though that ducks are not always welcomed in parks and stuff. They had a big stink a while back with them trying to remove ducks from a park in Crestivew and the residents had a fit. They removed all the bushes around the lake that they were nesting in though this past year which kind of sucks b/c it isn't a pretty.

 

[destinduck]

Im the "swan guy" wonderpup. So will I try to help birds in the wild again. Not no but hell no. But they didnt fare any better at the park neither. (so they said) But now they are at some swan sanctuary down south doing well I hear.

 

[desertdarlene]

Our problem at this lake is the coots. Even if you try to only feed a select few ducks, the coots will push their way through and eat everything before the ducks realize that there's food. They have a no-feeding policy at the lake now because there are so many coots, grackles, squirrels and pigeons. The ducks were also blocking traffic in the parking lot.