Duck in trouble

Texas

I live in an apartment black in Santry and last year a mallard duck managed to hatch 4 ducklings in the carpark.

Unfortunately this year she had been hounded and attacked by the kids in the surrounding blocks. I've even caught them poking at her with among other things, an 8 foot length of copper piping, branch of a tree, broken umberella... and they've drawn blood. A lot of the residents are looking out for her and shouting at these spawns of satan when they go anywhere near her, but they're still at it.

She's been sitting on one egg now for about 3 weeks, so if it's still viable (I'm not sure) it should hatch in the next 7 days or so.

The only other option I see if this goes on is me catching her and moving her to another location and losing the egg because I think they will kill her if they get another chance

I've tried the DSPCA and the local Gardai and they're not really much help... does anyone know of a wild bird rescue group?

ashlingm

maybe birdwatchireland.com courld help you out - im very surprised about the dspca not being of help...

dranoel

Interfering with a bird like that is a criminal offence. I'd try the regional management of National Parks & Wildlife

animan

if you know where griffith avenue is there is a bird sanctuary at the entrance to charlemmont the guy who runs it's name is joe walsh im sure he would take it in if you brought it to him

Texas

Mrs Quack is still there... luckily after a few more less serious incidents the kids seem to have got bored and have left her alone.

Thanks animan, I know exactly where that is if something happens again... always wondered where that pheasant came from

I'll post if/when the egg hatches and hopefully get a photie

Texas

Well today the saga continued....
Heard a commotion of tweeting and quacking before lunchtime and went down to investigate. Mrs Quack had no fewer than 6 ducklings (she kept those eggs well hidden)
So she has to cross a very busy road to get to the lake so me and my other half kept vigil until she was ready to set off. She was very reluctant, going about 12 feet with her new family and then heading back to the nest repeatedly. I began to think there was a late hatcher and investigated the nest... nothing. Gave her another while and could swear I could hear tweeting from the nest area. Went over again and discovered 3 chicks down the storm drain Mrs Quack gave up after a while, so I escorted her across the road and down to the lake.
Couldn't get the damn thing open, so called the DSPCA, stopped everyone in a van/truck on the road, security etc looking for a crowbar. Finally, with lots of help we managed to break it open. After lying in wait in the rain, I managed to scoop out 2 ducklings DSPCA arrived and couldn't help with the one that was stuck. Spent an hour trying to find Mrs Quack, it was windy and the was a heron on the prowl so she was keeping them well hidden. Finally found her and put the two tiny fluffies into the water... only took a few seconds for them to find her, she was visably delighted to see them... quacking like crazy and touching them with her beak

Anyway, no 9 is still deep in the drain, we're keeping an eye out but its not moving any closer. When I make quacking noises it tweets back.... anyone got any ideas on duckling attraction??? Really annoying me that we can't save the last one

Attaching a few pics

Texas

More photies, unfortunately reunion photies are not good quality

luckat

Poor little mite will freeze to death if you don't get it. Try putting some broken-up crusts down for it (broken up small enough that they'll soak fast) so that it can at least get some food.

Texas

Luckat.... bread kills ducks! :eek:

People think they're being kind feeding them bread but it's really bad for them, they're not made to eat bread. If you really feel the urge to feed a wild duck then shred lettuce, tomato and carrot and catch a few slugs or worms from your backgarden.

We've diced up lettuce for it and put it in the drainpipe and in the water just in case it comes back towards the grating. I had my hands in the storm drain water to pluck out the other two and there was plenty of tiny (and not so tiny) critters for it to feed on. It won't starve, it's a duck so it's been made for the cold and wet, and even though its only a few hours old it can look after itself foodwise.

It will most probably survive for a few days unless a rat gets it.... i'm keeping my fingers crossed, hopefully I'll be posting good news soon

doctor evil

Fair play on you for getting the two out.

I didn`t know bread kills ducks, does it swell in their stomach or something?.

Peraps you can use a bent coat hanger or two to get the remaining fella out.

Texas

Well 'kill' is probably an bit of an exageration.... it's really not good for them. It ferments inside them when they eat it... wet bread in the water sticks to their feathers and goes mouldy etc. Makes them sick and they can't escape predators if they're feathers aren't in good nick.
DSPCA guy today said that only 1 in 8 mallard chicks survive to adulthood :eek:

The little tyke is in about ten feet I'd say from the distant tweeting, so coat hangers aren't going to do it

myjugsarehuge

Texas wrote:

Luckat.... bread kills ducks! :eek:

Well my 5 ducks have left over soda & white bread along with their pellets & oats most days. They love it and are still here after 2 years, I realise its not a ideal full time diet but as an occasional treat its fine.

The reason most ducklings don't survive to adulthood is that they are taken by taken by predators, cats, foxes herons, pike etc. Thats why they hatch so many as a survival tactic, like bluetits, out of 12 in a clutch they reckon only 1 survives to breed the next year.

Let us know how the last little one got on.

Texas

Unfortunately, no sign of duckling number 9.

I checked on Mrs Quack a few times over the last few days and she's down one baby already.

I was really shocked to see how many of the young birds are gone, a few weeks ago it was overun with 60-70 baby ducks, moorhens etc. Now there is just one duck with 5 ducklings about 4 weeks old, Mrs Quack with her 7, 5 cygnets and a moorhen with 1 chick. These birds have an island to roost on at night, I figure the heron is the only predator that can get at them there.

The 5 older ducklings came over to us looking to be fed, they're getting fed bread constantly. When the winter comes they'll probably die of starvation as they obviously don't know how to find their own food.

I asked a friend of mine who runs wildlife santuary about feeding wild ducks bread, he said it does kill them....their digestive system can't handle starch and it enlarges their liver. He said that many ponds, lakes and waterways in the UK and US have now got signs up saying people will be fined if they are caught feeding wild birds.