Tree Mallard??

[Photoz]

I watched with interest, while fishing yesterday a mallard hen fly up to the top of a huge broken-off willow stub, where she perched for a while, then plopped herself down in the hollow centre, with barely the top of her head showing?? I always thought these ducks nested on the ground, in the bush, sometimes far from water? Anybody ever see one nest in the top of a hollow tree? It's gotta be 40' straight down . . . . I wonder how the ducklings will get down when they hatch? From THAT height . . . zin n n n n n g . . . . SPLAT!! If you look on the left just under the overhanging piece, you can just make her out . . .

 

Here she is, just getting out of the nest . . . . watta weird duck?

 

 

P. S.

 

"Nudder GR R R R R E A T day fishin,' and catchin,' . . . 7 for 10 . . . . ALL 'baby' ones . . . biggest . . . maybe 17 pounds . . . . down to about 12 pounds. Can't BUY a 35+ incher for the team . . . . maybe tomorrow. Anybody fishin' THEEEEEE spot in Hamilton? Still spawnin'?

[misfish]

You would be very surprised at the rezilance of them birds Steve. I just watch a show a week ago,were these geese layed thier eggs on a rock cliff edge,to prevent the preditor from getting to them. Once they were ready to leave the nest,they just jumped and you would not believe what they went through on thier way down. Bing bang ,boom,land. 4 of the 5 walked/waddeled away. It was pretty cool to see.

[Clampet]

I think when it is time, the mother will push them out of the nest.

[Northhunter]

Never heard of mallards doing that before, photoz.

 

Wood ducks, hooded mergs, whistlers, bufflehead are all cavity nesters and take the fall when they leave the nest. I don't see why a mallard duckling would be any any different. Their bones aren't developed yet and have some give to them.

[Sinker]

Never heard of mallards doing that before, photoz.

 

Wood ducks, hooded mergs, whistlers, bufflehead are all cavity nesters and take the fall when they leave the nest. I don't see why a mallard duckling would be any any different. Their bones aren't developed yet and have some give to them.

 

 

Yup, what Northhunter said. They'll just jump out....or the mother will push them out. They'll be fine.

 

Pretty neat for a mallard tho.....

 

Sinker

[Greencoachdog]

I may be old fashioned, but may i suggest a block and tackle?

 

The others are correct though, saw a program on Rock Hopper Penguins a while back. it's hard to believe those little fat boogers don't go splatt!!! when they jump from some of those places.

[Joey]

That's very interesting Steve

 

I have a problem in the new house right now (no racoons thank God). We have some birds living in a pillar on our front porch and the babies are inside and getting bigger (and louder) every day. Mom and Dad come and feed them all day long (and crap all over the front porch). They go crazy every time food arrives. They're almost ready to leave the nest I wondered how the first flight would be. Will they fly or go kerplop onto the concrete?

 

I snapped a few pictures yesterday. Its through the front window and zoomed, but they're not too bad. I also added a few pics of some other birds in my yard this past week. A nest of baby robins right out front in the tree, and the resident backyard cardinal that does his beautiful songs all day long.

 

 

 

 

 

And last but not least, this fella has not been helpful at all, and doesn't seem the slightest bit interested in the birds. He only seems interested in rolling around in the dirt and then coming in and lying on my white dining room lace tablecloth

 

 

I'll let you know if they go crashing into the cement when it comes time to get booted.

 

Joey

[Clampet]

That's very interesting Steve

 

I have a problem ..We have some birds living in a pillar on our front porch and the babies are inside and getting bigger ..

 

 

 

 

 

 

Joey

 

Bad news.

Those are Blood sucking Vampire Bats.

[wolfville]

Joey, same thing happened to my house last year (and they are there now too). I was worried about the same thing, then one day they were all gone and never back, found a dead one in the front lawn, guess that's the casualty.

[Mattitude]

I've seen this before, it was a Mallard too and when the time came it was a disturbing sight. She nested up in a Willow at a resort I worked at. One day we were walking by and ducklings were falling from the tree hiiting the sidewalk hard. A few of them just layed there stunned. We tried to catch them while the whole time the mother was squakking away. Not a sight I like to remember.

[ch312]

I've seen this before, it was a Mallard too and when the time came it was a disturbing sight. She nested up in a Willow at a resort I worked at. One day we were walking by and ducklings were falling from the tree hiiting the sidewalk hard. A few of them just layed there stunned. We tried to catch them while the whole time the mother was squakking away. Not a sight I like to remember.

 

why would ya try to catch them? they may have only been stunned but if you tried to catch them you could cause them to have heart attacks or die from stress. nature seems cruel sometimes but its usually always better to let things happen. if the young die, they will likely feed young critters like crows and coons. nothing gets wasted in nature....

[pameladallaire]

Well, Mallards evolved around water and soft underbrush, not cement pavement. The mother sits under the tree and calls until they all start jumping from the nest, and if over soft ground, they bounce and roll. If, over water, they splash and float.

 

Pam

[misfish]

. nature seems cruel sometimes but its usually always better to let things happen.

 

So true. Just this week,a very young fawn was found by some soldiers at baseboarden.They called the SPCA they came to get it,told the guys it,s better to leave nature alone.They had thought the mother was dead,but turns out the mother returned looking for the fawn. They rushed the little thing back and all ended well.

[easton13th]

Joey I think it's time to build the ARK.

 

Never seen duck nest off the ground before. Great shots!

 

Easton

[Kawartha Kev]

Where I work there has been a family of Canada Geese that nest in a large willow tree for the last 5 years at least here is the evidence

 

 

Kawartha Kev

[Mattitude]

When people see these things they think they can help, sometimes yes and sometimes no. I was only trying to help because some girls were freaking out and starting to cry. I can't recall if and how many died but I do remember the mother trying to gather them up and get them into the water.

[misfish]

When people see these things they think they can help, sometimes yes and sometimes no. I was only trying to help because some girls were freaking out and starting to cry. I can't recall if and how many died but I do remember the mother trying to gather them up and get them into the water.

 

Hey Matt dont fret it bud. Girls crying would of made me do the same thing bud.

[Snowball]

How the baby ducks get out of a tree. Watch this video:

 

 

Regards,

Snowball