Backyard guest.

Well, it looks like I’ll have some young critters soon. This hen decided that under my deck was the best spot to deposit her eggs. She took the mulch and mounded it up and made a very nice nest. I must have walked right past her several times yesterday getting the hoses out and general work in the backyard. I finally noticed her and was amazed she didn’t make a noise and when I was close to her. I was within a few steps of her several times during the day.

I have a chain link fence around the whole backyard so I’m a little worried that she might not get them out of there. I don’t want to leave the gate open because we have coyotes in the park reserve right behind our neighborhood. Has anyone had this happen to them and if so how did they get out? I’m thinking the chicks may be able to squeeze though the links but not sure if momma would let them do this when she can’t be on both sides. Anyone been through this and have any tips to offer?

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I’ll bet they squeeze through easily. It’s that trip to the nearest water that’s most dangerous. Funny how mallards will nest like this. I have seen it in our neighborhood many times. Always facing south for the most sun access.

Great pix and story. I had the same thing happen in my yard last year (didn’t come back this year) but I have a pond 20 yards away. I agree with Suzuki that the trip to the nearest water is the tough thing. How far is the nearest water? Mallards incubate 28 days (give or take 2 days…) so maybe you catch em’ all and transport them to a pond if you think that travel would be hazardous?

She’ll fly over to the other side of the fence and they’ll follow.

Animals know a good nesting opportunity when they see it. A fenced-in, coyote free nesting site with only the occasional disturbance from a human who seems to think he owns the place. Perfect!

I think the chicks will be able to get through the links in the fence, but if not hopefully you’ll see them out and can open a gate or something.

Provide a pie plate of water for the hen to drink if you can. She can spend a long time on the nest without food, but she needs water.

Grouse

There is one more house to the east of me and then they have to cross a 30MPH road and through a yard and then have 3 ponds to choose from. If they are waiting at the gate it will be a short walk for me to escort them to safety (for the day anyway).

I was thinking the same thing about water, especially with the dry spring we’ve been having. I put a pie tin out there full of water for her last night.

I know, right Grouse! I was more concerned about a unruly neighborhood cat with a Napoleon complex.

Hunting4Walleyes wrote:

I know, right Grouse! I was more concerned about a unruly neighborhood cat with a Napoleon complex.

The Big Cat is profoundly un-interested in birds and waterfowl of any flavor. Ducks sit in our yard and drink out of the bird bath and the Big Cat doesn’t even bat an eye. Just strolls past on his way to surveying the plains for today’s big game lunch on the hoof.

He’s never brought home anything dead except he an I had a mouse catching competition going last fall in the garage. Cat’s got game, he was leading 4-3 late in the season, but I pulled out a victory with 2 late trap snaps. Victory! Gotta give the Cat credit though, his Old School approach was getting it done.

His only real sporting interest seems to be in big game. Deer, fox, African plains game, etc. Obviously, this could go wrong in a lot of different directions.

Grouse

TheFamousGrouse wrote:

Animals know a good nesting opportunity when they see it. A fenced-in, coyote free nesting site with only the occasional disturbance from a human who seems to think he owns the place. Perfect!

and a mound of mulch with which she is almost perfectly camouflaged … evidenced by your walking by several times before noticing her

Just took the dogs for a walk in my backyard but the only guests were woodticks!

I also have a mallard nesting right next to the house in the city. She’s under a globe arborvitae. She’s protected from hard rains from the south by the house and the arborvitae to the north. She was there last year also. She hasn’t started incubating yet but has been there every morning the past four days dropping an egg. We’ve got a clear view of her nest from the house window. It’s about 300 yards to the nearest pond so hopefully they’ll get there fine when they do hatch. The streets aren’t busy and there’s no obstacles to the ponds. Most of the neighborhood dogs are usually inside (I don’t have any pets) and I don’t see any cats around.

My father-n-law use to have a mallard nest in a very large silver maple tree were the trunk branched off into about four big limbs about 8 feet off the ground. She just made her nest in the crotch at the top of the trunk. She was there at least three years. That too was in the city about 400 yards from the nearest pond.

I like having the hen around… the kids like to see her. But I want really, really want the rabbit dead.

Boone

Hoping you can coral them before they make the trip to the roadway. How much traffic is there?

Last year I was eating lunch at Arbys right off 94 on suburban ave. and sat in corner window. Looked out and down and there was a nesting mallard right on the corner where cars came around the building for the drive thru. Had a nest of mulch and the cars where going by not 3′ from her nest and this did not seem to bother her. Had to cross suburban ave to get to a pond so I hope they made it.

I am sure mama mallard will get the ducklings through the fence without a problem.