Ducks on the Run

[gomer]

bloody foxes,they just kill for the fun of it not just to survive.Your Dad must be spewing,All that work to raise them,then all that waste of life.

I have been walking around the paddocks every night, to see if any of the others found their parents.I have not spotted them yet.I hope that means they are good at hiding!! and have not become fox meat.

[E Orix]

I currently have a pair of Wood Ducks and their 8 ducklings taking up residence on my pond at the front of the house.
As I write this they are just settling down for the night on the brick pool edge not 10m from me.They are really nice but do they make a mess.
I will try and down load some pictures. She started off with 12, now down to 8 but there haven't been any losses for the last 5 days since they moved to my place instead of feeding on the nature strips.

[jusdeb]

Foxes , dogs , cats the poor ducks have enough trouble with their natural predators without the blow ins. They are very good at hiding and they do have large clutches because of the high mortality rate .
Hopefully yours are laying low and will be OK.
Just a bit of trivia I did see a pair of wood ducks land in a tree nearby , Id never seen them do that as they usually fly to the ground ...maybe they are evolving away from the ground in order to survive or maybe I just have dumb ducks here that dont know how to land in trees thus me never seeing it b4.

[iaos]

Yeah Wood Ducks will often nest is trees. But it is still a funny site to see them perched in trees.

[Pete Sara]

hi deb , wood ducks actually nest in trees in hollows just like parrots. ...pete

[fincher]

yeh at dads hes had a pr of ducks nest in a pvc pipe that we had up for the galahs to nest in but unfortunatly the duck died due to it couldnt get out seens it was quite deep nd the duck couldnt climb up the wire we put in for them to climb up

[jusdeb]

Well there ya go ducks in trees , guess I better spend more time looking up

[E Orix]

On Nov 2 I mentioned a pair of Wood Ducks taking up residence in the front of my home where we have a pond and water fountain.
Well the pair have raised the 8 ducklings and now they are nearly as big as the parents.
They do not spend the night here now but fly in each afternoon for a bath and to graze on the grass. I don't mind them eating the grass but I sure would love them to wear nappies.
This is the first summer we have had the pond in the front it is 10m x 5 m x 600mm deep and as the area dries out we are amazed at the numbers and species of birds using the facility to drink and bath plus the Kookaburras continually eyeing off the fish.They were successfull a couple of times early but the fish soon learn. Last Saturday there were 40 Galahs in drinking and bathing in the fountains bowls.
As it is under 8 meters from my office window I get great enjoyment from it.
Maybe when I eventually work out how to post pictures I will.

[Diane]

I don't mind them eating the grass but I sure would love them to wear nappies.

Look forward to seeing the pics