Weird wild duckling

[Miss Lydia]

I thought I would update you all on Trouble. I've been having a hard time definitely identifying any duck that could be him. I think I saw him a few days after my last post back near his family. He had grown slightly. However, he was always far away and I couldn't see details.

However, since then, I've gone to thoroughly look for him twice and have seen no duck that looked like the one in the last photos I took. I kept seeing this one duck in this next photo that looks a LOT like Trouble. He even has the errant feather on his neck, the whitish belly (though this one has a dark stripe near the tail), and is almost the same size, but slightly larger. But, he looks a lot older than Trouble and I don't think Trouble could have changed that fast in only ten days or so. The confusion is that everyone is in molt with many ducks, including Trouble's brothers, getting grown-up male duck feathers. So, some are in various stages of this molt.

But, I know of no other adult duck that is this size and body shape with a little errant feather on the neck like Trouble. There is a half-mallard half appleyard with similar coloring at the lake, but he's at least a third larger than Trouble.

If this isn't Trouble, then I think he may have passed away.



This duck seems to have taken up residence with the Pekins. Trouble was always curious about the other ducks.

Could it be a coincidence that 2 ducks would have a feather like that? he is a cutie I hope that is trouble. and hanging out with headless ducks is cool too.

 

[desertdarlene]

It could be a co-incidence. I actually will know better when everyone gets back in their dress costumes again. The other duck that looks similar is very distinctive-looking and acting compared to Trouble during breeding season. Trouble had only recently gotten that weird feather. You can kinda see it in the other photos I took before.

I haven't seen this duck on land, yet. Trouble has those long legs and skinny body.

If this is him, then he's changed very quickly. I know it can happen because his brothers are changing fast, too. But, this seems too much of a change to be him.

 

[Frank Phinster]

I would say that these changes are too dramatic to have taken place inside of ten days - the last picture you took, his juvenile plumage was barely complete, and this bird is already getting his nuptial plumage, plus his bill is yellow. In my opinion this pictures shows another duck.

 

[desertdarlene]

Yeah. That duck in that last photo is the only one I've seen that's close to Trouble's size and was hanging out near the family. All the rest are so much larger except the gadwalls. I'm hoping he's just hiding somewhere. Last I saw him, he was getting pretty far from his family. He had a duckling body, but an older duck's mind. He might be in an entirely different location if he's still alive.

 

[desertdarlene]

I found him! He came when I called his name. But, I think he's sick. He was sneezing and I can see that the corner of his eyes were swollen. His left eye was really bothering him and he kept scratching and rubbing it. He lets me walk right up to him and if I sit down, he comes right up to me. I don't know if that's because he's weak or he just trusts me. He has good balance and co-ordination and doesn't seem overly tired.

We're having an algal bloom at the lake and I wonder if his habit of going out in the deep water has caused him to get algae into his eyes and sinuses. The lake water is usually pretty clean and I've even seen sick birds from elsewhere get better after being at this lake.

Here he is with his left eye closed. He was having a problem with his left eye when I last saw him, too, when the algal blooms were just beginning.




His right eye is only slightly swollen and seems irritated:




This is after several minutes of rubbing and scratching his eye. I tried to stop him, but he seemed not to be able to help it:




He has good balance and co-ordination. Here he is showing me that he now has all his wing feathers. He's also grown about 20-30%;

 

[Miss Lydia]

I found him! He came when I called his name. But, I think he's sick. He was sneezing and I can see that the corner of his eyes were swollen. His left eye was really bothering him and he kept scratching and rubbing it. He lets me walk right up to him and if I sit down, he comes right up to me. I don't know if that's because he's weak or he just trusts me. He has good balance and co-ordination and doesn't seem overly tired.

We're having an algal bloom at the lake and I wonder if his habit of going out in the deep water has caused him to get algae into his eyes and sinuses. The lake water is usually pretty clean and I've even seen sick birds from elsewhere get better after being at this lake.

Here he is with his left eye closed. He was having a problem with his left eye when I last saw him, too, when the algal blooms were just beginning.




His right eye is only slightly swollen and seems irritated:




This is after several minutes of rubbing and scratching his eye. I tried to stop him, but he seemed not to be able to help it:




He has good balance and co-ordination. Here he is showing me that he now has all his wing feathers. He's also grown about 20-30%;

He looks very healthy other than his eyes. Too bad you can't spray some Veterycin in them that would help alot. He does look like he has grown .

 

[desertdarlene]

Yeah, he probably would let me do it, too. I'm just hoping his immune system will get everything in order. I will keep an eye on him in case he really gets sick to the point where he's not functioning well. I'm just glad I found the right one this time. I don't know where that other one I posted about last time went to.

 

[desertdarlene]

I think I saw him today, but I wasn't sure because he was in an unusual area hanging out with other ducks not much older than him. He almost let me pick him up, so I'm almost positive it was him. I didn't take a picture, but wish I had. His eyes were totally clear and he looked completely healthy. He definitely has another breed of duck in him as he still has a lot of white on his belly, but it's most like one of the domestic ducks rather than a gadwall.

 

[Frank Phinster]

I actually didn't think that he would make it so far, it's good to read that he is doing wellm but I do hope that his condition is not inheritable by possible offspring, in my opinion a spreading might lower the fitness for the local duck population.

 

[desertdarlene]

You never know. I'm guessing many ducks don't breed and there's lots of competition with the males. He still very small, but not tiny like he was. There's a little male call duck at the lake and he's about the same size, a little larger, than him.