So shortly before 3AM, an owl attacked the smallest (runt) of my 10 ducks. It was a mallard, about half the size of the other ducks. All the ducks are only 10 weeks old, and this one had particularly bad vision. It always seemed to hone in on the group with sound instead of sight, and was always last to get to the feeder when it was replenished.
The owl waited until the runt drifted from the tight group and then pounced on it. It then dragged the duck to the edge, and up on to the grass. Still having some fight in her, the duck dragged itself and the owl back into the pond, where the owl sat on her for several minutes (presumably to drown her) and then again pulled her back to shore. At that point, the owl flew away, but we couldn't tell if the duck was in its claws. An hour later it returned to the spot of the killing - so I think it may have just left it there for a while. After this clip stops, I found the owl returned to several points in the yard around daybreak (550a) and then left.
So, my question is, is there anything I can do to keep this from happening again? I'm sure even suggesting to dispatch the owl probably breaks multiple federal laws, so I suspect that option of off the table.
Since it came back and loitered several more hours after the kill, I have to presume it's interested in the other ducks. But perhaps they're too big for it?
The owl waited until the runt drifted from the tight group and then pounced on it. It then dragged the duck to the edge, and up on to the grass. Still having some fight in her, the duck dragged itself and the owl back into the pond, where the owl sat on her for several minutes (presumably to drown her) and then again pulled her back to shore. At that point, the owl flew away, but we couldn't tell if the duck was in its claws. An hour later it returned to the spot of the killing - so I think it may have just left it there for a while. After this clip stops, I found the owl returned to several points in the yard around daybreak (550a) and then left.
So, my question is, is there anything I can do to keep this from happening again? I'm sure even suggesting to dispatch the owl probably breaks multiple federal laws, so I suspect that option of off the table.
Since it came back and loitered several more hours after the kill, I have to presume it's interested in the other ducks. But perhaps they're too big for it?