Minnesota Wildlife have it tough

We recently had a Hen Mallard make a nest Behind a Trellis in the corner of our house. She spent a few days looking around our home before picking the spot. I originally thought she picked a idea spot. It was protected from the wind and sight with the old foliage from last years clematis plant and two sides of the house. It was mostly protected from the rain with the gutters overhead . With the weather we have been having for the week or so since she laid eggs I thought it was going to be a tough go of it for the eggs survival. With all the cold, wind, and rain we had she never seemed to leave the nest. My wife and I felt bad for her so we crushed up some corn and put it out fairly close to her. The corn was disappearing each day so we assumed she was getting off the nest from time to time to eat. Sadly yesterday I looked out the window located above her nest and she was not on the nest ( The 1st time in a week that she was not ) I saw something out of place in the neighbors front yard. I got my Binoculars and sure enough it looked like a dead hen Mallard. I got dressed and went out to investigate and sure enough it was a dead Hen mallard. ( almost curtain the one nesting in the corner. ) Not sure what happened to her. My guess is one of the neighbors dogs found her. I doubt it was a wild fox or yote as it did not appear to have much damage done to it and I don’t think either of those would have just left it in the yard . The wife was rather sad as she was looking forward to watching the eggs hatch and see the little ducklings. I told her that’s nature, Its not always so kind. You got to wonder how much other wildlife meets their end in such a way.

Could it have been avian influenza? Not sure how much interaction a hen mallard with a nest is having with other ducks, but it spreads very easily.

Was a little late on the ball this year cleaning wood duck houses. Canoed to an island this morning and walked past many nesting geese on eggs. They looked pretty content. Hooded Mergansers have mostly taken over the wood duck houses, but at least someone is using them.

Anyways, put collars on your cats if you let them wander outside. Otherwise…

Sorry to hear about that duck. I am fond of the neighborhood mallards.
I crack up every time I see them on roof tops.

Two weeks ago my son saw a gosling in a small flooded area along the road. This seemed very early. I’m guessing the others didn’t make it with the cold and snow we had.
DT

There has been a goose on a nest by my dads for like 3 weeks now. At least since i noticed her. I feel bad everytime i go by cause its been so cold she probably can almost never get off.

A couple years ago we had a nest on the Harbor Marina dock IN a grill. It was a small round grill just perfect for nest building. Everyone walked a little quieter past the nest and the hen seldom did anything more then open an eye.

Unfortunately the duck nor anyone else knew the vents were closed on the bottom of the grill and the first good rain the eggs were covered with water.

There were still plenty of little dock poopers running around from other nests that spring.

IMHO it’s those Chicago and LA ducks that probably have it tough. MN we got dang nice acreage per lot here, these ducks got white picket fences and nice manicured lawns to choose from. People feed em, watch out for em, shoot some parts of big cities those ducks could end up on a frickin menu lay some eggs in the wrong restaurant bushes.

#mnmallardprivelage

Together we can bring nesting equality to all beaked friends.

ducks and geese in Rochester have it really bad! the silver lake population is having their eggs killed off by the city in an attempt to reduce the population for the second year in a row! last year walking around the park I seen probably 400-600 mated pairs maybe a thousand or more birds. 2 pair of geese had goslings
and not a single pair of ducks had offspring. the city is paying to have all the eggs sprayed with some type of oil that kills the eggs for their new park project. they are also removing the dam and draining the lake now!

That’s nothing.

Recently a Fisher climbed a tree by our land and ATE ALL THE BABY BALD EAGLES

A bunch of people threw a big fit about it on the local Facebook group….like a Fisher is supposed to know better?? Half of them didn’t even know what a Fisher even was.

One lady even described them like a black bear but with a longer snout and longer claws

Her description instantly reminded me of Man-Bear-Pig lol

Nature is a cruel bitch. Some days you’re the bug, some days you’re the windshield.

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B-man wrote:

That’s nothing.

Recently a Fisher climbed a tree by our land and ATE ALL THE BABY BALD EAGLES

A bunch of people threw a big fit about it on the local Facebook group….like a Fisher is supposed to know better?? Half of them didn’t even know what a Fisher even was.

One lady even described them like a black bear but with a longer snout and longer claws

Her description instantly reminded me of Man-Bear-Pig lol

Nature is a cruel bitch. Some days you’re the bug, some days you’re the windshield.

That’s actually pretty interesting. An example of natural predation in action that would be rare to see.

And yes, I would have to imagine that the common person has no clue what a Fisher looks like.

gimruis wrote:

Could it have been avian influenza? Not sure how much interaction a hen mallard with a nest is having with other ducks, but it spreads very easily.

I never gave that a thought but possible.

Reminds me a bit of one of my favorite Fred Bear quotes, “I have always tempered my killing with respect for the game pursued. I see the animal not only as a target, but as a living creature with more freedom than I will ever have. I take that life if I can, with regret as well as joy, and with the sure knowledge that nature’s way of fang and claw and starvation are a far crueler fate than I bestow.”

It was Covid, no mask, sorry couldn’t resist.

Every morning I round the corner out of the woods on my way to work and a pair of Mallards get up out of the ditch and fly right in front of me… scares the bejesus out of me everytime !!!

keppenhiemer wrote:

ducks and geese in Rochester have it really bad! the silver lake population is having their eggs killed off by the city in an attempt to reduce the population for the second year in a row! last year walking around the park I seen probably 400-600 mated pairs maybe a thousand or more birds. 2 pair of geese had goslings
and not a single pair of ducks had offspring. the city is paying to have all the eggs sprayed with some type of oil that kills the eggs for their new park project. they are also removing the dam and draining the lake now!

Maybe the crazy Animal Activists that have been protesting the Timberwolves games should head down to Rochester.