Ducks on Site!

[Yellow Petals]

My husband's work unit is based on a beautiful piece of land owned by farmers.  It has a huge big stately house, barns, some out buildings/units (where he works) and a fantastic pond/lake just outside of his office.  They get all sorts of visitors throughout the year from herons, cormorants (at first we thought perhaps a little lost, but no, it returns each year!) coots, moorhens and of course ducks.  Well, he is used to seeing an abundance of ducks and their offspring each year, but this year....one particular little lady has decided she wants her offspring to be reared not at the pond or in the hedge, but in a planter just outside his office - in the middle of the car park!  She's been back and forth over a couple of weeks now laying her eggs at various intervals.

The first pic was taken on 23 March 05 and if you look carefully you can see about four eggs in the centre.  The next pic was taken on 02 April 05 and she is quite happily sitting on ten eggs.  The next pic was taken on 03 April and she's waddled off leaving thirteen eggs!  Husband came home today and told me she is sitting on there permanently now - phew, after thirteen eggs, LOL!  He says he will try and get another pic of her sitting on all of them, but naturally he doesn't want to disturb her by getting too close (even though she has nested right next to his car!) I will keep you all posted on their progress.  The one question I have is.... how on earth are the ducklings going to get out of that thing when it's time to leave??

[Yellow Petals]

[MagpieDi]

Amazing !  Look forward to seeing pics of the ducklings. Hope sly Mr Fox doesn't find her nest.  :(

[moonbells]

Oh this is so lovely!  ;D
Perhaps if she waddles off at some point, you could put a piece of board up as a ramp (with a brick at the base to stop it slipping) so the ducklings can escape.

moonbells

[Heldi]

Aw that is so cute. What a canny little lady duck.

Like moonbells I thought some kind of ramp sneakily put there when she's not looking.

[Palustris]

I would not worry too much about the ducklings not being able to get down from there and to the water. They are very livley little characters and very agile and resillient. A ramp may also give access to the nest site for predators,cats, rats, mink, weasels or stoats would all take either eggs or babies given half the chance.

[Yellow Petals]

Hi Palustris,

I was hoping you would see this thread and respond, thank you. 

I know nobody would have made any alterations around where she is sitting on her eggs, for fear of frightning her off with some kind of change in appearance.  Would that include putting down some straw or grass when they are big enough to leave, to give them a soft landing, or would the mother not take too kindly to that either?

[eileen]

Fingers firmly crossed here that they all hatch out.  Ducks do find the strangest places to lay their eggs don't they  ??? Looking forward to see more piccies!!!  ;D

[Yellow Petals]

Quick update.  Madam has now laid a fourteenth egg and is still merrily waddling about.  Sir, apparently, has been standing in the middle of the car park, staring into space with a rather bewildered look on his face, LOLOL! 

Hugh said that last year she laid her eggs at the top of a metal fire escape (!) but unfortunately they all died  :'(  At least this year she is a bit more "down to earth"

He said he will try and take a picture of the lake tomorrow plus a picture of Mr & Mrs Duck wandering about  :D

[Yellow Petals]

Some sad news today.

One of the farm hands caught the old farm dog with some eggs.

Nobody knows how many yet as they are all giving the nest a wide berth for the moment.  Apparently there are egg shells scattered in the car park.

How upsetting  :'(

15:26 and Hugh just called to say only 7 eggs left and mum duck won't come back to them at the moment.

[Mrs Ava]

aaawwww...!  Has she come back to the nest yet YP??

[Plocket]

Oh I hope Mrs Duck doesn't abandon the eggs. I was so enjoying the saga. What a silly place to lay eggs, but better than the previous spot!

[Yellow Petals]

No.  I think they are doomed  :'(

It's been two days and she hasn't come back.  She's still wandering about but won't come back.

[Plocket]

Oh dear. What a shame. I'm so sorry!

[Roof]

Oh dear!
Poor daft ducky.

[Heldi]

Aaaw I was hoping for some good news. Poor little dizzy duck :(

[kenkew]

Is it worth trying to rescue them or is it too late?

[Marianne]

I was wondering the same as Ken.  Is it possible to take the eggs and keep them warm until they hatch ??  However when the eggs hatch, they will still need Mummy Duck to lead them to water and show them now to feed and protect them.   

Other mummy ducks would not take to the newcommers as she would have her own babies but maybe it is worth trying  ??? :-\

I do wish you well with them !

[Yellow Petals]

My apologies, I have only just seen the last couple of posts.

My husband and his work partner were actually in the middle of a re-location so there wasn't any way that they could help out with the eggs.  They both said that had they not been moving, they would have taken all of the eggs and placed them in one of the huge ovens they use for work and tried to help. 

Apparently, when the mother abandoned the eggs on the fire escape last year, one of the farm hands tried to protect them.  He managed to hatch out one which only survived for about a week  :'(

[Marianne]

Oh dear  :'( :'( :'(
It reminds me when we saved 3 baby ducklings from the road about 8 years ago as their mother  had left them behind.  One only survived. 
I am so very sorry ..... :'( :'(

[Palustris]

Sorry, I did not see this thread again until just now. How sad. Pity is we have a broody hen who would have loved to have sat on the eggs. Ducks are notorious for abandoning their nests at the slightest disturbance. Our ducks were raised by a hen and they are just as watery as their deserting parents.