There are two mallards-- a male and a female-- in the neighborhood. One of the local houses has a rather large white egg in the bushes out in front. These two ducks have spent a few hours over the past five days in the morning just hanging around the egg. Neither the female nor the male has spent any discernible time sitting of this duck egg. They just sit there in the front lawn on egg duty.

Anyone else on TOTV have experience with mallards and their eggs? Will it hatch when the ducks do not seem to spend any time sitting on it?

There is just this one egg as far as we know in this neighborhood but who is to say that she does not have more eggs in some other nest??

[pooh]

Here's a link from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Mallard/lifehistory

From other info I've read online, it seems that the Mother is the one who sits on the nest. Maybe you need to tell Mama duckie that's her job...

The ducks can lay a clutch of 1 to 13 eggs! When my Mom in Law lived in CA, her house was near a pond on the golf course and there were lots of baby ducks walking around. One year, they managed to get up to her pool. It was great fun for them, but getting out was difficult, not to mention bird poop in the pool. Father in law made a ramp so they could walk out and then Dad covered the area they used to get into the back to prevent further duckies from using the pool. Probably not the best place for ducklings what with the chlorine and all.

Congratulations on your newest neighbors...they don't stay around too long....enjoy!

Originally Posted by pooh

Here's a link from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Mallard/lifehistory

From other info I've read online, it seems that the Mother is the one who sits on the nest. Maybe you need to tell Mama duckie that's her job...

The ducks can lay a clutch of 1 to 13 eggs! When my Mom in Law lived in CA, her house was near a pond on the golf course and there were lots of baby ducks walking around. One year, they managed to get up to her pool. It was great fun for them, but getting out was difficult, not to mention bird poop in the pool. Father in law made a ramp so they could walk out and then Dad covered the area they used to get into the back to prevent further duckies from using the pool. Probably not the best place for ducklings what with the chlorine and all.

Congratulations on your newest neighbors...they don't stay around too long....enjoy!

Now we just have to keep the other neighborhood critters away from the egg. These critters are a few dogs who live in the area and the many who walk by often on 16 to 23 foot leashes. The local cats are pretty much indoor cats except for the odd wanderings.

[Barefoot]

There is a small pond in back of our house. There is a momma duck there with her five duckettes. She teaches them to swim and hunt for food. The Dad hangs around but doesn't do anything. Tal, perhaps the time for hatching has passed?

As well there are two ducks that swim daily in the Belvedere Adult Pool. I like swimming with the ducks, BUT they defecate in the pool and on the deck which makes it very unsanitary. Last year they had a fake owl that they moved from place to place and it seemed to work.

This year they strung (is that even a word?) fishing wire over the pool but it doesn't deter the ducks one bit. Could someone please return the owl!

Originally Posted by Barefoot

There is a small pond in back of our house. There is a momma duck there with her five duckettes. She teaches them to swim and hunt for food. The Dad hangs around but doesn't do anything. Tal, perhaps the time for hatching has passed?

As well there are two ducks that swim daily in the Belvedere Adult Pool. I like swimming with the ducks, BUT they defecate in the pool and on the deck which makes it very unsanitary. Last year they had a fake owl that they moved from place to place and it seemed to work.

This year they strung (is that even a word?) fishing wire over the pool but it doesn't deter the ducks one bit. Could someone please return the owl!

They spend so little time near the egg. The female and the male are usually 3 to 25 feet from the egg. Unless, that is, the female in sitting on it in the middle of the night.

No ducks swimming in Lynnhaven Adult Pool that I have ever seen.

[Barefoot]

There is also a Sandhill Crane nest near a pond in Belvedere Village. You can see the nest from Belvedere Blvd. The mom is usually sitting on some eggs.