Lizard Queen
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Post by Lizard Queen on Jun 19, 2015 8:36:08 GMT -5
I think they were Mallards. I feel awful. The purpose of running around town trying to find them a home, and setting up a box/lamp/water wasn't for them to runaway and die on their own. DH likes birds and knows a lot more about them than I do, so I don't know why he let them get away. I looked for them this morning, but I don't want to traipse through people's yards unless I know exactly where I'm going so that I can traipse right back out.
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dannylion
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Gravity is a harsh mistress
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Post by dannylion on Jun 19, 2015 9:01:15 GMT -5
It is very possible that their nest is under a bush in someone's garden and they have found their way back to mama and all is well. There was a pair of ducks that built a nest in the little courtyard outside my mom's room in the nursing home a couple of years in a row, and it was at least half a mile to the nearest body of water. Your baby ducklings might just have gone back home after their excellent adventure.
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Wisconsin Beth
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No, we don't walk away. But when we're holding on to something precious, we run.
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Post by Wisconsin Beth on Jun 19, 2015 9:06:58 GMT -5
It is very possible that their nest is under a bush in someone's garden and they have found their way back to mama and all is well. There was a pair of ducks that built a nest in the little courtyard outside my mom's room in the nursing home a couple of years in a row, and it was at least half a mile to the nearest body of water. Your baby ducklings might just have gone back home after their excellent adventure. We saw this all the time growing up. We grew up about 1 block from a cemetery. The center point of the cemetery was a duck pond, complete with small island in the middle with a HUGE willow tree. Every couple of years we'd find a duck nesting near our house. And you'd see a parade of ducklings following Mommy Duck to the water once they were older. I assume the ducks don't want their babies to near the water because they could get eaten by something. The duck pond had turtles and possibly frogs/tadpoles but not real fish in it. At least none that we ever saw/caught.
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Lizard Queen
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Post by Lizard Queen on Jun 19, 2015 9:21:02 GMT -5
Thanks. That helps. I guess I did see some ducks (with little ones) crossing the road near my house before. I just thought they had to live by water.
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Wisconsin Beth
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No, we don't walk away. But when we're holding on to something precious, we run.
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Post by Wisconsin Beth on Jun 19, 2015 9:26:28 GMT -5
Thanks. That helps. I guess I did see some ducks (with little ones) crossing the road near my house before. I just thought they had to live by water. I think adult ducks do. But the babies are less likely to be found and/or eaten if they're a bit away from the water at first. Which means survival of the species (not that mallard ducks are particularly endangered in Wisconsin....)
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Lizard Queen
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Post by Lizard Queen on Jun 19, 2015 10:32:49 GMT -5
Thanks. That helps. I guess I did see some ducks (with little ones) crossing the road near my house before. I just thought they had to live by water. I think adult ducks do. But the babies are less likely to be found and/or eaten if they're a bit away from the water at first. Which means survival of the species (not that mallard ducks are particularly endangered in Wisconsin....) From the looks of it, not in Michigan either. But, babies are so damn cute...
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Wisconsin Beth
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No, we don't walk away. But when we're holding on to something precious, we run.
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Post by Wisconsin Beth on Jun 19, 2015 11:00:35 GMT -5
True!
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Virgil Showlion
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[b]leones potest resistere[/b]
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Post by Virgil Showlion on Jun 19, 2015 11:49:42 GMT -5
The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down Of a Queen Liz they called Duxakeepie The queen, it is said, gave her ducks up for dead When the eyes of her husband turned sleepy
With a box by the door, twenty-six baby ducks more Than the cardboard duck cradle weighed empty Those good ducks and true were a bone to be chewed When the cats of the neighbour came early
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Wisconsin Beth
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No, we don't walk away. But when we're holding on to something precious, we run.
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Post by Wisconsin Beth on Jun 19, 2015 12:07:12 GMT -5
Virgil!!! I don't know whether to laugh or cry. I DO know I'm going to have that music in my head the rest of the day now.
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musicjenny
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Post by musicjenny on Jun 19, 2015 13:38:56 GMT -5
I feed mine chicken food. If they're little I just smash up the pellets so that they can eat them easier. We started out with two, one disappeared last year as an adult and her partner was forlorn so we got two more this year. Then I ended up with a rescue baby. We have two of the hard plastic kiddie pools out back and we change the water every day or two. Once they get big enough they may fly away if they're migratory. Their eggs are great for baking since they have a lot more albumen than chicken eggs. They taste pretty good too.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 19, 2015 14:10:18 GMT -5
Maybe they are visiting a neighbors kiddie-pool Do you leave your husband in charge of the children?
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Lizard Queen
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Post by Lizard Queen on Jun 19, 2015 20:03:52 GMT -5
Maybe they are visiting a neighbors kiddie-pool Do you leave your husband in charge of the children? Yeah, but I do worry when he's got them outside by himself and he starts weeding. I tend to watch them like a hawk and get less done in the process. This was different though. Earlier yesterday, we'd set them out and they wouldn't budge an inch. When I left, they were cheeping and just hopping around a tiny bit. I don't think he expected them to make a break for it. He said that they acted like they were terrified of him. When they first got into my garage, I barely saw them out of the corner of my eye. They just kind of charged in before I knew what happened. He described the same thing when they left.
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joemilitary
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Post by joemilitary on Jun 19, 2015 21:38:31 GMT -5
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NoNamePerson
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Is There Anybody OUT There?
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Post by NoNamePerson on Jun 19, 2015 21:54:51 GMT -5
Have you checked Archie's backyard? Or better yet, his dinner table
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joemilitary
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Post by joemilitary on Jun 20, 2015 8:24:02 GMT -5
duck, duck........goose...
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