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nt><br><meta http-eq --20cf303bff82d649ac04ae6aeef3 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 What a great story, Paul! It had never occurred to me that they might actually come up to the house for food--so far, they've been pretty edgy, flying away when we take food down to the pond and then coming back when we're gone. Flora On Sun, Oct 2, 2011 at 8:32 PM, Paul MacDonald <paulrita2001@yahoo.com>wrote: > Hi Flora and All > The neighbors around where I live have a flock of mostly mallards > with a few Blacks mixed in and they spend the winter in the area. > They have a number of houses where they are feed and will fly by > to see if any food has been put out. > We are close to salt water so they can go there but they come right into > the > yard if I put bird food out. Some will even sit on the door step > and in real cold weather will sit on my foot to get a little heat. > On those days I can sometimes pick them up and hold them. > On real cold windy days they will huddle in the shelter of a building. > I was always of the thought that the Blacks were really Mallard crosses. > Pure blacks were always wilder. Backcrossed birds are hard to distinguish. > The Mallards around here are descended from Cyrus Eatons importations > at Deep Cove. Wherever those Mallards came from, any migratory instincts > were gone by now. > If you feed the birds they will stay - I'm sure there is open water near > you and > they will go back and forth. Once they get to know the area, they will > bring > their friend the mallards with them. > Rumour has it that as they went in to a friends house for their breakfast, > a RCMP > patrol car came by and a collision resulted. I'm not sure if the collision > was with the > birds or with the rocks in the ditch - anyway one new patrol car was > required. > Enjoy the Ducks but make sure they have a proper landing strip.. > Paul > > > ------------------------------ > *From:* Flora Johnson <sagecopy@gmail.com> > *To:* naturens@chebucto.ns.ca > *Sent:* Sunday, October 2, 2011 5:11:54 PM > *Subject:* [NatureNS] Seeking info on black ducks > > I'm hoping to get some insight into the behavior of a group of black ducks > that has been gathering on the little pond--more of a big puddle, > really--behind my farmhouse. > > For several years we have a motely crew of domestic ducks that hang out on > the pond when the weather is decent but will be herded into warmer quarters > once the pond freezes. In past years they have occasionally been visited by > wild ducks, but the wild ones always move on fairly quickly. > > This year something different seems to be happening. About a month or so > ago, we noticed that two black ducks had joined our flock and seemed to > be sharing their food. To our surprise, they stayed on the pond. About a > week later, a third one showed up, and that one also stayed. Yesterday we > had five. And today we have seven. > > We get a kick out of watching all the ducks and would be happy to have the > wild onces become regular visitors or permanent residents. But we're > wondering what these guys are going to do as winter comes. Are they just > gathering here on their way south? Will we wake up one morning and find that > they've taken off for Florida (or wherever black ducks go in the winter)? If > so, is it possible they'll come back here next year? > > Is it possible that they might try to spend the winter on the pond (which > will be frozen solid)? If they do hang on, is it ok for us to feed them? > > Any experiences or insights anyone would care to share will be gratefully > received. > > Flora > > > > --20cf303bff82d649ac04ae6aeef3 Content-Type: text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <div>What a great story, Paul! It had never occurred to me that they might = actually come up to the house for food--so far, they've been pretty edg= y, flying away when we take food down to the pond and then coming back when= we're gone.</div> <div>=A0</div><div>Flora<br><br></div><div class=3D"gmail_quote">On Sun, Oc= t 2, 2011 at 8:32 PM, Paul MacDonald <span dir=3D"ltr"><<a href=3D"mailt= o:paulrita2001@yahoo.com">paulrita2001@yahoo.com</a>></span> wrote:<br><= blockquote style=3D"margin: 0px 0px 0px 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex; border-le= ft-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-left-width: 1px; border-left-style: so= lid;" class=3D"gmail_quote"> <div><div style=3D"color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: times new roman, new y= ork, times, serif; font-size: 12pt; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">= <div><span>Hi Flora and All</span></div><div><span>The neighbors around whe= re I live have a flock of mostly mallards</span></div> <div><span>with a few Blacks mixed in and they spend the winter in the area= .=A0</span></div><div><span>They have a number of houses where they are fee= d and will fly by</span></div><div><span>to see if any food has been put ou= t.</span></div> <div><span>We are close to salt water so they can go there but they come ri= ght into the</span></div><div><span>yard if I put bird food out. Some will = even sit on the door step</span></div><div><span>and in real cold weather w= ill sit on my foot to get a little heat.</span></div> <div><span>On those days I can sometimes pick them up and hold them.</span>= </div><div><span>On real cold windy days they will huddle in the shelter of= a building.</span></div><div><span>I was always of the thought that the Blacks were really Mallard crosses.</span><= /div><div><span>Pure blacks were always wilder. Backcrossed birds are hard = to distinguish.</span></div><div><span>The Mallards around here are descend= ed from Cyrus Eatons importations</span></div> <div><span>at Deep Cove. Wherever those Mallards came from, any migratory i= nstincts</span></div><div><span>were gone by now.</span></div><div>If you f= eed the birds they will stay - I'm sure there is open water near you an= d</div> <div>they will go back and forth. Once they get to know the area, they will= bring</div><div>their friend the mallards with them.</div><div>Rumour has = it that as they went in to a friends house for their breakfast, a RCMP</div= > <div>patrol car came by and a collision resulted. I'm not sure if the c= ollision was with the</div><div>birds or with the rocks in the ditch - anyw= ay one new patrol car was required.</div><div>Enjoy the Ducks but make sure= they have a proper landing strip..<br></div><div>Paul</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div= style=3D"font-family: "times new roman", "new york", t= imes, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><div style=3D"font-family: "times new r= oman", "new york", times, serif; font-size: 12pt;"> <font size=3D"2" face=3D"Arial"><hr size=3D"1"><b><span style=3D"font-weigh= t: bold;">From:</span></b> Flora Johnson <<a href=3D"mailto:sagecopy@gma= il.com" target=3D"_blank">sagecopy@gmail.com</a>><br><b><span style=3D"f= ont-weight: bold;">To:</span></b> <a href=3D"mailto:naturens@chebucto.ns.ca= " target=3D"_blank">naturens@chebucto.ns.ca</a><br> <b><span style=3D"font-weight: bold;">Sent:</span></b> Sunday, October 2, 2= 011 5:11:54 PM<br><b><span style=3D"font-weight: bold;">Subject:</span></b>= [NatureNS] Seeking info on black ducks<br></font><div><div></div><div clas= s=3D"h5"> <br><div><div>I'm hoping to get some insight into the behavior of a gro= up of black ducks that has been gathering on the little pond--more of a big= puddle, really--behind my farmhouse.</div><div> =A0</div><div>For several years we have a motely crew of domestic ducks tha= t hang out=A0on the pond=A0when the weather is decent=A0but will be herded = into warmer quarters once the pond freezes. In past years they have occasio= nally been visited by wild ducks, but the wild ones always move on fairly q= uickly.</div> <div>=A0</div><div>This year something different seems to be happening. Abo= ut a month or so ago, we noticed that two black ducks had joined=A0our floc= k=A0and seemed to be=A0sharing=A0their food. To our surprise, they stayed o= n the pond. About a week later, a third one showed up, and that one also st= ayed. Yesterday we had=A0five. And today we have seven.</div> <div>=A0</div><div>We get a kick out of watching all the ducks and would be= happy to have the wild onces=A0become regular visitors or permanent reside= nts. But we're wondering what these guys are going to do as winter come= s. Are they just gathering here on their way south?=A0Will we wake up one m= orning and find that they've taken off for Florida (or wherever black d= ucks go in the winter)? If so, is it possible they'll come back here ne= xt year?</div> <div>=A0</div><div>Is it possible that they might=A0try to spend the winter= on the pond (which will be frozen solid)?=A0=A0If they do hang on, is it o= k for us to feed them?</div><div> =A0</div><div>Any experiences or insights anyone would care to share will b= e gratefully received.</div><div>=A0</div><div>Flora</div><br> </div><br><br></div></div></div></div></div></div></blockquote></div><br> --20cf303bff82d649ac04ae6aeef3--
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