The Quack Shack

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Miss Lydia said:
Love both your videos,@WannaBeHillBilly can you imagine having all those ducks?

I have been using just my bird's bedding and poop for the fertilizer on what we grow here and it's so much better than using chemicals.

Good Morning and Evening!
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Hi @Miss Lydia - sure i would love if the Mallards would join my flock of domestic ducks, but… The department of natural resources (WV-DNR) would definitely not like that.
Feeding them during the winter is acceptable, but everything going further means walking the fine line and being subject to a very subjective interpretation of the migratory bird protection act…
That is one of the reasons why i have not ordered Mallard ducklings this summer, though i always wanted to have a tame mallard drake sitting on my shoulder like in this video:
 
WannaBeHillBilly said:
Hi @Miss Lydia - sure i would love if the Mallards would join my flock of domestic ducks, but… The department of natural resources (WV-DNR) would definitely not like that.
Feeding them during the winter is acceptable, but everything going further means walking the fine line and being subject to a very subjective interpretation of the migratory bird protection act…
That is one of the reasons why i have not ordered Mallard ducklings this summer, though i always wanted to have a tame mallard drake sitting on my shoulder like in this video:
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Does he not realize this drake is wanting to mate with him?lol
 
Magnolia Ducks said:
Ha. I have to take a picture of the large oak tree killed by Piliated woodpeckers. They pecked to death. But it made some nice firewood. It took them 10 years to kill it.
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I bet, if you peel the bark off you will find tiny tunnels from the insects that the woodpecker was after. They poke holes into the tree to reach the tunnels and boreholes of insect larvae which the then fish out using their long tongues.
 
Miss Lydia said:
It's so cool you have so many hanging around through winter. Hopefully, some of the drakes will move on once mating season starts so they don't over whelm your females.
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The Mallard drakes are far too small to even try to enforce themselves on my domestic ducks. Even Tweedledee - who had a Mallard friend in fall - is twice the size of a Mallard drake. Even Violeta, my smallest duck is 1½ times their size. I am more worried about my drakes enforcing themselves on the wild ducks! Not only because of the risk of hybridization, resulting in ducklings that grow up into non flight-able ducks, but also about injuries. So far the wild ladies have just flown away a couple of feet when one of my drakes tried to grab them, but they are also not in full »vent mode« right now…

I am not really sure, how many Mallards there are in total. There is a group of eight that is always present, i assume Missus Mallard, Daddy Mallard and their six babies from this summer, who approach me directly without being afraid and ask for something to eat. And then there is a various number of other mallards that come and go as opportunists, hard to tell but i estimate it is a group of more than thirty in total.
I am worried about hunting though, duck-season goes until January 31st with a daily(!) bag limit of six birds, but i have not heart a single shot during this week.
 
WannaBeHillBilly said:
I bet, if you peel the bark off you will find tiny tunnels from the insects that the woodpecker was after. They poke holes into the tree to reach the tunnels and boreholes of insect larvae which the then fish out using their long tongues.
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Nope. Cut it up for firewood. The holes are big enough for your fist. Like making nests. I will get a picture tomorrow. I think Pileated woodpeckers might be a little different. They eat my garden and eat fruit too. I think ill look them up. They are the size of crows. On another note, poor little crested I found upside down three times yesterday. Once shed just given up not kicking or flapping at all. I tube fed her this morning and she's been right side up since. Ill tube feed her again tomorrow. Having trouble giving up on her.
 
Pileated woodpeckers mainly eat insects, especially carpenter ants and wood-boring beetle larvae. They also eat fruits, nuts, and berries, including poison ivy berries.[15] Pileated woodpeckers often chip out large and roughly rectangular holes in trees while searching out insects, especially ant colonies.[12] They also lap up ants by reaching with their long tongues into crevices. They are self-assured on the vertical surfaces of large trees, but can seem awkward while feeding on small branches and vines. They may also forage on or near the ground, especially around fallen, dead trees, which can contain a variety of insect life. They may forage around the sides of human homes or even cars, and can be observed feeding at suet-type feeders. Although they are less likely feeder visitors than smaller woodpeckers, pileateds may regularly be attracted to them in areas experiencing harsh winter conditions.

Usually, pileated woodpeckers excavate their large nests in the cavities of dead trees. Woodpeckers make such large holes in dead trees that the holes can cause a small tree to break in half. The roost of a pileated woodpecker usually has multiple entrance holes. In April, the hole made by the male attracts a female for mating and raising their young. Once the brood is raised, the birds abandon the hole and do not use it the next year. When abandoned, these holes—made similarly by all woodpeckers—provide good homes in future years for many forest songbirds and a wide variety of other animals. Owls and tree-nesting ducks may largely rely on holes made by pileateds in which to lay their nests. Even mammals such as raccoons may use them. Other woodpeckers and smaller birds such as wrens may be
 

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