My lunchtime walk in Congress Park today was accompanied by many fewer ducklings then I had expected. Last week I saw three broods totaling 23 ducklings and today I only saw 8! Whether it was crows, cats, people, or other predators I don’t know, but I guess this is why Mallards have large broods.
The other major change I noticed in the park today is that the apple trees are in bloom:
In addition to the Gray Catbird enjoying the apple blossoms above, I also spotted Chestnut-sided and Yellow Warblers and an Eastern Kingbird, pretty good for a small urban park.
I’ll end this short post with a rather mangy Gray Squirrel:
Corey is a New Yorker who lived most of his life in upstate New York but has lived in Queens since 2008. He's only been birding since 2005 but has garnered a respectable life list by birding whenever he wasn't working as a union representative or spending time with his family. He lives in Forest Hills with Daisy and Desmond Shearwater. His bird photographs have appeared on the Today Show, in Birding, Living Bird Magazine, Bird Watcher's Digest, and many other fine publications. He is also the author of the American Birding Association Field Guide to the Birds of New York.
I think the resident homeless ate the ducklings. They were roasted over trashcan fires behind the library. Incidentally, I think that squirrel is next on the menu. Sorry to have to be the one to break the bad news, animal lover!
I’m pretty sure you’re making that up. I really hope you’re making that up. If not, mmm…ducklings…mmm.
Thanks Corey for bringing that ‘Duckling Pie’ the other night! It was sure delicious, when are you going to get more? *wink*wink*nod*nod*
I saw an Eastern Kingbird doing some aerial maneuvers today on a college campus-they make quite an odd noise too-really cool bird.
That’s odd how the ducks just up an left: maybe they found a hiding place or maybe something is eating them.
One day while walking my dog around a small dam I saw a duck with all her new brood and counted eight fluffy ducklings.
Two days later I returned to the dam and noticed that the duck had now only one duckling following her……..I wondered what had happened to the rest.
Then to my dismay I found a few of them ‘dead’ floating in the edge of the dam……I fished one out………it had been shot by an air gun!
Hu’ I suppose that’s called hunting…..I bet the lads that did it had a really good laugh……..Well done lads..WELL DONE!
I already saw lots of ducklings down at moss landing. I was taking a lake tour and in oak (?) soulugh, I saw a mother duck with all her ducklings following her. U r probably wrong. Tell the truth the golden rule.
@Ron: Some people just, well, don’t get me started!
@Nicole: I’m not sure what you are referring too or where moss landing is, but we here at 10,000 Birds report what we see…