Monday, March 24, 2008

Egg? Culprit? WHERE?

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Good News for Momma "G"...
Mom G nesting next to our deck…on the recently trimmed ornamental grasses… She does not seem to mind us using this entrance, which is a GOOD THING!

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We took a peek yesterday while she was off her nest, 5 EGGS ;)

Now for the BAD NEWS
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The English Call Ducks Nest
The first egg, right under my NOOK

Nest site of English Call Ducks

Now FOUR EGGS ;) Some one was a HOME WRECKER

This sort of thing happens, we never like to see it but it happens when you live out on the edge of the woods.
Heartbreaking Raccoon’s and/ or skunks!

Did not smell a skunk so my bet was the Mom Raccoon nesting in and old tree across the creek!
Mufasa, one of our cats…and I scouted a better nesting location before she[the Call Duck] laid her first egg ~~
Mufasa [ was a fictional lion who first appeared in Disney's popular 1994 animated feature film The Lion King. He was voiced by James Earl Jones. The name "Mufasa" means "King" in the Manazoto language.]

Potential nest site for the English Call Ducks… Better situated protection wise, also a former Goose nesting site of years past.

12 comments:

Tom said...

Have not got a goose that lays golden eggs 'D'?... I'm sure all these eggs are worth their weight in gold to you both..
Neat post, love the nests

Tom

dot said...

Oh what a shame! I wonder if she knows the difference.

DeeMom said...

It was the Call Ducks nest that was raided.

The Geese have two "attendants' so to speak guarding the Mom while she is on the nest or when she gets off to eat...A built in 'Nanny' system as it were...

The ducks are not as tightly knit, at least the Call ducks, as far as we know...this is our ONLY second hatching...

Anonymous said...

Very sad indeed, but racoons are known for raiding birds and ducks nests.
Thank you for your comments and your visits.
Love the nests and your post.
Your cats have funny names:-))

Alyssa said...

That is a shame about the duck's eggs. Hopefully, your other nesting site will be better. I would love to have small breed chickens here, but there are so many raccoons I know neither eggs or chickens would survive. The gray goose is beautiful and it was interesting to learn about their "nanny" system. Smart birds!
I hope to see some pictures of baby geese in a while.

Anonymous said...

Good for the goose. They can clobber most animals, including people, with their wings if provoked. The cat best beware. Ducks are totally different and quack a lot but in the end lose their eggs to all kinds of predators.

Your observations and photographs are very good.

Abraham Lincoln in Brookville, Ohio

DeeMom said...

Gisela, all the cats have ‘Different” names…you will have to pop back to see what I have in store for the ABC Wednesday… Letter will be “J” ;)

Abraham, for sure the geese can clobber one, IF provoked. Ours have never been chased on the 25 some odd years we have raised them it goes for the ducks. As you pointed out the ducks are not as aggressive.

They do get a TAD touchy during mating and breeding season, but with due concern… We just talk to them in calm tones, telling them “OH Goodness, you know we will not hurt you.” That sort of thing…
Our cats know to give them a wide berth… ;)

Oh Alyssa the stories I could tell about their behaviors… amazing family culture they have…

Tom the Golden Egg, would be the 2 or three I snitch before the Moms REALLY start nesting… OG the omelets, pancakes and soufflés yummmmmmmmmmm

Dot we go through this every season, some nests just do better, or rather locations and the Mom’s/// This is the first year for the Call Ducks to lay eggs and nest, a learning experience for them as well.

Kerri Farley said...

She is beautiful! Sorry about the egg! I would love to see the babies when they arrive!!

Luiz Santilli Jr said...

What can we do??
That's the way of survival in nature!

Look this nonsense!

CHAOTIC TRAFFIC.

Luiz

imac said...

A really nice post, interesting info, sad in some parts, and great photos.

dot said...

Hello! Everything looked fine to me on my e-mail so I can't figure out what you meant. Try me at doteroo@yahoo.com

Ki said...

At first I thought your duck was a Toulouse goose. We had one once in a laid back rural town. The goose went missing for a couple of weeks so we thought maybe a dog had gotten him. One day someone said hey I saw your goose is in such and such's carport and sure enough when we went there, there he was making himself at home in this strange carport. Strange that the owners didn't shoo him out. :)