Wild ducks have laid eggs in my plant pot!
Discussion
randlemarcus said:
That's wonderful, love the video of the ducklings rushing around mum 
We "think" the eggs may have started hatching! We've heard some strange noises from the plant pot, and Henrietta seems to be sitting funny/higher. We are wondering if ducklings are under her, and she doesn't want to squash them. We can't see any ducklings, but Henrietta seems more grumpy than normal when we look at her
Nightmare said:
Come on ducklings!!!
You really should have bought a night vision wildlife cam and connected it up so we can all enjoy it though!
.
If I had, I would hate it if/when I saw something "bad" happen. Also, the Internet here is beyond dire (2Mb download speed) until the promised FTTP gets installed, so there is no way I could have put a working feed on line. If this happens again when we do have fibre, then I may put up a live feed for you guys.You really should have bought a night vision wildlife cam and connected it up so we can all enjoy it though!
. I've been looking out the window watching/listening and she definitely has ducklings, now and again I get a small glimpse of movement under her. Henrietta seems to be "talking" to them, I can hear squeaking from the ducklings and she responds to them, it's mesmerising to watch. Unfortunately, I can't get a good enough pic to show anything but I will keep trying:
Looking at that nest location, you are, I suspect, going to have to be a bit of a babysitter, unless Henrietta has managed to time things perfectly. Broods should hatch within 24 hours of egg 1. If not, there is a distinct possibility of her wandering off to wet her wings (damp eggs hatch better), or get a snack, and the little ones following her. They can jump down just fine, but absolutely cannot fly back up, because their wings are vestigial. Can you create a ramp back up to the nest level, or keep a close ear on her - when they jump out, and cant get back in, you will hear her making her displeasure known Ducks don't seem to identify eggs or young by smell, so you will not be risking anything by picking the duckling up, and shovelling it back at nest level (well, you'll risk a beak strike from Henrietta, but hey).
Ducks don't seem to identify eggs or young by smell, so you will not be risking anything by picking the duckling up, and shovelling it back at nest level (well, you'll risk a beak strike from Henrietta, but hey).randlemarcus said:
Looking at that nest location, you are, I suspect, going to have to be a bit of a babysitter, unless Henrietta has managed to time things perfectly. Broods should hatch within 24 hours of egg 1. If not, there is a distinct possibility of her wandering off to wet her wings (damp eggs hatch better), or get a snack, and the little ones following her. They can jump down just fine, but absolutely cannot fly back up, because their wings are vestigial. Can you create a ramp back up to the nest level, or keep a close ear on her - when they jump out, and cant get back in, you will hear her making her displeasure known Ducks don't seem to identify eggs or young by smell, so you will not be risking anything by picking the duckling up, and shovelling it back at nest level (well, you'll risk a beak strike from Henrietta, but hey).
I did put a ramp (piece of old decking) up to the plant pot first time around, there is a pic early on in the thread. I can put it up again. I read the same about ducks not "smelling" and therefore not abandoning eggs/ducklings because they stink of humans. Henrietta normally goes off for food etc in the late evening so I don't know what will happen tonight. I also suspect that tomorrow she will leave with her ducklings, as that's what happened last time (she cleared off within 24hrs of the 1st egg hatching). I am starting to panic!! Ducks don't seem to identify eggs or young by smell, so you will not be risking anything by picking the duckling up, and shovelling it back at nest level (well, you'll risk a beak strike from Henrietta, but hey).randlemarcus said:
This is the reason I now buy 20kg bags of duck food :ashamed:
I bought the same, 20 kg bag of duck/Swan pellets! Henrietta doesn't seem fussed by them, she prefers the "normal" mixed seed/peanuts that I put out for the other regular feathered visitors. Ramp has been reinstated:
tribalsurfer said:
Love this thread, only on PH can you find Powerfully Built Directors, who love gas chugging V8's and cute little ducklings.
Good work Toilet Duck !!!!!
Why thank you Good work Toilet Duck !!!!!
What makes me laugh is that by a strange twist of fate, I've also had a recent thread about toilet / soil stack issue, so my username must have been destiny
Ironically Henrietta is stopping me from doing the building work as well, the thread was here:
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
! That’s a fabulous photo 
)Well, we've been up since around 04:00 this morning and got to watch something truly magical!!
Henrietta was making lots of noise talking to her ducklings, she seemed to be coaxing them to all get up. It was hard to count how many she had as there was lots of activity underneath her. At one point she flew off but came back around 5mins later, I'm not sure if she went for food/drink or was scoping where she planned to eventually lead her young?
After being back in the nest, she got off onto the floor and kept "talking" to her young, and eventually they started jumping/falling out the planter onto the floor. Occasionally she got back on the planter to try and get the others to follow, this went on for around 40mins. Eventually, she had TEN ducklings in tow and took them across our garden and into a private field next door so we weren't able to follow. It maybe that there is a pond over there in a neighbouring property some distance away, but we don't know.
I got lots of pics and even some video, I hope you enjoy
Video here: https://youtu.be/sYJWf99Ew7w
Good luck Henrietta
Henrietta was making lots of noise talking to her ducklings, she seemed to be coaxing them to all get up. It was hard to count how many she had as there was lots of activity underneath her. At one point she flew off but came back around 5mins later, I'm not sure if she went for food/drink or was scoping where she planned to eventually lead her young?
After being back in the nest, she got off onto the floor and kept "talking" to her young, and eventually they started jumping/falling out the planter onto the floor. Occasionally she got back on the planter to try and get the others to follow, this went on for around 40mins. Eventually, she had TEN ducklings in tow and took them across our garden and into a private field next door so we weren't able to follow. It maybe that there is a pond over there in a neighbouring property some distance away, but we don't know.
I got lots of pics and even some video, I hope you enjoy
Video here: https://youtu.be/sYJWf99Ew7w
Good luck Henrietta
Edited by Toilet Duck on Friday 24th July 10:08
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