A few weeks ago, my domestic mallard,. Fudgie, disappeared. I thought she either flew off or was gotten by something.
A week or so ago, I saw her in the yard eating pooping and swimming. By careful surveillance, standing and waiting over an hour in the rain, I found her general location in the neighbors bushes. I sprinkled Cheerios in the area and from under one bush poked a bill and I heard crunching.
I left the eggs, since I didn't want to kill almost fully developed ducklings in the shell. I figured they may not hatch due to the snow, hail, sleet and freezing temps we have had in the last few weeks. I put a barrier around her
nest and my neighbors and I have been on Duck Watch.
Today when I came home from work, there they were, all THIRTEEN of the babies with Mom.
I looked at her nest and all of them hatched, which is amazing, since we have had horrible weather.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/duckavenger/
A week or so ago, I saw her in the yard eating pooping and swimming. By careful surveillance, standing and waiting over an hour in the rain, I found her general location in the neighbors bushes. I sprinkled Cheerios in the area and from under one bush poked a bill and I heard crunching.
I left the eggs, since I didn't want to kill almost fully developed ducklings in the shell. I figured they may not hatch due to the snow, hail, sleet and freezing temps we have had in the last few weeks. I put a barrier around her
nest and my neighbors and I have been on Duck Watch.
Today when I came home from work, there they were, all THIRTEEN of the babies with Mom.
I looked at her nest and all of them hatched, which is amazing, since we have had horrible weather.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/duckavenger/
