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Post by downylover on May 1, 2015 18:45:43 GMT -5
I looked outside this evening and a pair of mallard ducks were out there. I was so excited I grabbed seed, grapes and bread (I know I probably shouldn't have take the bread but oops). They were around snacking for about 15 more minutes before having a drink and flying off. About an hour later they returned. I put seed all over the patio but they didn't come up. The doves all took off at once and everyone flew off. The ducks didn't come back. There's about 10 cardinals out there enjoying the extra buffet all over the patio. How nice of them to help me clean up.
I think I got a decent picture or two of the ducks.
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Post by Calamity Creek Gal on May 1, 2015 21:26:28 GMT -5
That sounds like a fun experience! Neat to have the mallard pair and then the cleanup crew!!!
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Post by hazelrunmama on May 1, 2015 21:51:58 GMT -5
A fun way to spend an evening, for sure!  10 cardinals! Awesome! |
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Post by downylover on May 1, 2015 22:30:35 GMT -5
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Post by luv2bird on May 2, 2015 11:51:00 GMT -5
I looked outside this evening and a pair of mallard ducks were out there. I was so excited I grabbed seed, grapes and bread (I know I probably shouldn't have take the bread but oops). They were around snacking for about 15 more minutes before having a drink and flying off. About an hour later they returned. I put seed all over the patio but they didn't come up. The doves all took off at once and everyone flew off. The ducks didn't come back. There's about 10 cardinals out there enjoying the extra buffet all over the patio. How nice of them to help me clean up. I think I got a decent picture or two of the ducks.
Wow! Mallard Ducks, that is a wonderful surprise.
You really had a great day!
l2b
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Post by naturelover on May 2, 2015 12:10:05 GMT -5
Many years ago we had a 5 foot diameter, 18" deep pool and a mallard pair. It wasn't long before we had several more! It always amazed me to see them return to that little pool from a flight and hit it spot on target. They were fun to have around. One time one of our chicken hens decided to set on a nest of duck eggs. She was a good mother, but was scared out of her mind when the ducklings jumped into the pool! She ran round & round squawking at them frantically and not being able to understand that her baby "chicks" could swim. She protected them from the drakes much better than the mallard hens did. If the drakes nipped at her babies she gave them a nasty peck on the head! Those were fun times back on my "farm"!
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Post by luv2bird on May 2, 2015 12:14:56 GMT -5
Wonderful pics. Congrats. Kim, they sure are a lovely pair.
l2b
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Post by luv2bird on May 2, 2015 12:17:54 GMT -5
Many years ago we had a 5 foot diameter, 18" deep pool and a mallard pair. It wasn't long before we had several more! It always amazed me to see them return to that little pool from a flight and hit it spot on target. They were fun to have around. One time one of our chicken hens decided to set on a nest of duck eggs. She was a good mother, but was scared out of her mind when the ducklings jumped into the pool! She ran round & round squawking at them frantically and not being able to understand that her baby "chicks" could swim. She protected them from the drakes much better than the mallard hens did. If the drakes nipped at her babies she gave them a nasty peck on the head! Those were fun times back on my "farm"!
LOL. That is so funny.
l2b
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Post by downylover on May 2, 2015 19:51:16 GMT -5
Oh wow, Marilyn that sounds like fun!
The pair actually returned this afternoon. I was shocked. I've had ducks maybe twice, for a few minutes and that was it. There's no pond right around so they must be passing through. I opened a can of corn and threw some out with seed instead of the bread and they seemed to enjoy. If I knew they were going to be stopping by again I would have run and got the cracked corn. I'm pretty sure this is it for them but they were great visitors.
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Post by hazelrunmama on May 3, 2015 16:40:48 GMT -5
Very cool that they came back! Ducks are a great backyard bird! I'd love to have some come visit here! Marilyn, I can just picture that hen giving the drakes heck for pickin' on 'her' chicks! What happened to the mallard hen? Did she just capitulate to the hen and spend her summer carousing, or did something happen to remove her from the picture? |
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Post by Calamity Creek Gal on May 3, 2015 17:22:29 GMT -5
Great pictures of your ducks Kim!
Marilyn, what a wonderful story!! Fond memories of your farm.
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Post by downylover on May 3, 2015 19:50:05 GMT -5
They were back today! I love seeing them but I am hoping they fly off to near a pond so they can nest and have ducklings. I had some family over today and we were outside and they flew in and waddled around, maybe 8 feet away. They upstaged the chipmunk big time.
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Post by naturelover on May 4, 2015 8:21:58 GMT -5
Marilyn, I can just picture that hen giving the drakes heck for pickin' on 'her' chicks! What happened to the mallard hen? Did she just capitulate to the hen and spend her summer carousing, or did something happen to remove her from the picture? All the females were still around Hazel; I think the hen probably intimidated her with a few pecks? We had several female mallards, so I'm not sure which was the intended mother of that nest. I love seeing them but I am hoping they fly off to near a pond so they can nest Kim, watching ducks can be very entertaining! I'll bet the have a spot picked out for nesting but enjoy your free handouts! Marilyn, what a wonderful story!! Fond memories of your farm. Lue, my little "farm" gave me much happiness. It was one of the best parts of my life so far! |
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Post by downylover on May 4, 2015 19:41:30 GMT -5
Guess who returned again this evening? Looks like I will be needing that bag of cracked corn now. Tonight they waddled to about 6 feet away and stared me down. They ate, drank and the she hopped up on a stump on the patio where I put seed for the birds and chipmunk. She looked comfy sitting there eating.
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Post by Calamity Creek Gal on May 4, 2015 22:34:34 GMT -5
Well now, isn't that a nice surprise! Better get that corn in the A.M. so you don't disappoint them... again!  haha |
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10 cardinals! Awesome!
haha