Skip to main content

Ducks On The Deck!

I may have created two little monsters…

No, I’m not talking about my boys. These are monsters of the feathery kind…ducks! Donald and Daisy, our resident Mallards. And when I say resident, I’m not kidding around. I think these two are ready to move in.

Yesterday, after nap, Nicholas was at the top of the stairs yelling, “Donald and Daisy are at the front door! Donald and Daisy are at the front door!” Huh?

Pierre and I rushed to the front door to see what on this green earth Nicholas was hollering about. Turns out, he was right. Donald and Daisy were, in fact, on our front porch patiently waiting at the door for their daily ration of bread. Now, these two moocher-mallards show up in our yard at least once daily looking for a handout. Multi-grain bread is their favorite. I know their favorite kind of bread…that is how often this web-footed pair come for dinner. 

DSC00619

DSC00622

 

Cute, eh? Not so much.

Here’s the real problem. With Donald and Daisy showing up as often as they do, I thought it best to do a little research on feeding ducks. Turns out, feeding wild ducks human food, especially bread, is really, really bad for them, and for us too. If you’re interested in learning more, check out this fantastic link:

http://www.duckrescuenetwork.org/duck_care.html  

I also consulted my sister, our family duck expert. Sorry Donald and Daisy, Auntie Jenn says no more bread. (That’s Jenn below, conducting research with a male Surf Scoter off the coast of Puget Sound, WA).

download

Now, weaning Donald and Daisy is going to be hard (and I thought my weaning days were over!). The boys’ feathery friends have been showing up in our neighborhood for years. In fact, they’ve lived here longer than we have. And Ben has really been honing his throwing skills with all the handouts. BUT, for their health and ours, their daily bread is done. Hope they like a low-carb diet.

xo Naomi

Comments

  1. Jenn BWMay 29, 2012 at 6:06 PM

    It's for the best! But if cutting them off cold turkey is difficult, you could always start by giving them duck feed instead; or if your neighborhood animal/farm place doesn't sell duck pellets, then try things like cracked corn, oats, barley - basically things as close to their natural diet as possible. They also eat invertebrates, esp. in the spring!

    Maybe leaving these items near the stream in your backyard might start to teach them that they can find food in "nature" rather than at your front door. I imagine other folks in the neighborhood feed them too, so doing this might also deter them from just seeking food (and perhaps filling up on junk) at other vending machines of the human and toddler variety. You'll be helping them in the long-run! :)

    Great post!

    Quack, quack!
    JBW

    ReplyDelete
  2. NaomiMay 29, 2012 at 8:07 PM

    Great ideas!! I didn't think we'd be able to go cold turkey (or cold duck!!), so weaning them with something healthy is a great idea. And I love the idea of leaving food by the creek! xo

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Funny Medicine

So, after blogging about Ben’s ear infection, a good friend messaged me on Facebook with a unique remedy for ear pain. She’s had a ruptured eardrum, so if she says that this works, I’m inclined to believe her. Here’s the message: “If Ben complains about pain, take an onion and mash it as you would a potato. Then, wrap it in something and heat it in the microwave till it’s hot (not hot like I'll burn you if I touch it, but hot). Take it out of the microwave and wrap it in a towel (don't worry you can wash it out after), put it on a pillow and then have Ben put his sore ear on it. When he no longer feels the heat, move a piece of towel away so he is one layer closer to the onion.” What do you think? Neat, eh? My pediatrician recommended a few drops of olive oil in the ear to ease pain. I’ve tried it with Ben, and it seemed to give him some relief. I’m going to try the onion. Why not? It’s an alternative that just might work. And I think that Ben would find it kind of fun to put...
7 comments
Read more

Here we go….

I’ve been wanting to start a blog for a while now. I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about starting it, talking about starting it, tinkering with the layout (and that was hard because I am basically a computer-dummy), and now, writing it. Is anyone actually going to read what I write on here? Maybe. Well….my mom will read it (Hi Mom!). Regardless, I do have a purpose to starting this, and here it is: Deciding to be a mom was one the very best decision that I have ever made (second only to marrying Pierre), and I want to share that. The time spent being home with my boys goes by so fast. Ok….let’s rephrase that….actual days can seem endless (and there are definitely times when I call Pierre at work, and tell him not to dare come home without wine. Or chocolate. Or both!!), but still each day, each week, seems to be going by faster and faster. I blinked and my youngest went from being a baby to turning three years old this coming Tuesday. And the next time I blink he’ll be thirty-three!...
4 comments
Read more

A Brother’s Love

The boys had ice-cream for dessert tonight. In fact, not only did they have ice-cream, they had an ice-cream sundae with whipped cream and strawberries, a special treat as only Grandma can make. Spoiled little bugs. Just as my two sweet-toothed monkeys were about to dig-in, Grandpa, being “the silliest” as Nicholas calls him, pulled a fast one. Taking Nicholas’ bowl of ice-creamy-yumminess, Grandpa said: “Mmmm-mmmm. That’s my ice cream, Nicholas. Thank you!” And he pretended to gobble up the bowl. Nicholas was not impressed. He stuck-out his bottom lip, and gave a somewhat convincing fake cry while burying his little head in his chair. I wouldn’t have awarded him an Oscar for this particular performance, but his point was clear enough: Grandpa had his ice cream, and he wasn’t going to let it be eaten without protest. Now Benjamin, watching all this unfold, had a very different reaction. His big, blue eyes welled up with tears, not of the crocodile variety, his face cru...
4 comments
Read more