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I had the opportunity of a duck count the other evening when they were all settled down for the night - I counted 150.
Many of the ducks that had been away nesting have now returned minus their offspring !
The crows and other predators have all but annihilated this years ducklings.
Only two female ducks out of 45 that were able to nest, have successfully managed to save 3 and 4 from their broods.
Well over 100 ducklings were lost to predators that I know of, but the number is more likely to be double or treble that amount.
Even the ones that I managed to help for several weeks before releasing them to the river had a hard time, with about a quarter still being taken, including the beautiful white duck.
However more than a dozen have survived and thankfully most of those are female. Having done it myself I know just how hard it is for ducks to rear their offspring, they have my total admiration and sympathy. The Trust provides feed for the swans and ducks every day, they each receive an average of around 2.2 ounces of grain per day which I try to distribute as equitably as possible. This is boosted by seasonal pulled grass, carrots and wholemeal bread. To aid good feather growth, I give Mealworm, lettuce, and thawed garden peas for the newly reared ducklings. We probably have the healthiest water birds in Scotland .
Not forgetting the over wintering Pintail refugee from the North !
Some people are still throwing their mouldy stale bread to the birds - PLEASE DON'T, it is poisonous to swans and ducks !!
What a week this has been for me, the cygnets hatching, the sick pigeons making slow progress, then an emergency call after a mother duck was run over on Tuesday at King street while trying to cross the road with 5 ducklings in tow.
After retrieving the injured duck and ducklings, a trip to the vet was essential, the mother has a compound fracture of the wing and a broken toe as well as various scrapes. All 5 ducklings appeared OK but one has since died. After an antibiotic jab and the wing bandaged I took it home to the comfort of the coop with her babies. Within an hour she had removed the bandage, and I had to re-apply the dressing only to have it removed within a couple of hours again !
The third attempt lasted until the following day, and I had no choice but another trip to the vet to see if I could get them to immobilise the wing for at least 10 days to allow the bones to fuse together. It seems an impossible task, since the ducks instinct is to remove the pesky object which is stopping her from shielding her babies ! The vet decided that a minimal surgical tape on the break was the best chance of her leaving it alone. So far it seems to be working but this is only the second day ! The prognosis is bad since the break is on the joint and a compound one as well.. Even if she is unable to fly but able to get around smartly would do, in order to rear her babies once back in the river. I will keep her a few weeks until they all have a fighting chance. A bypass is needed for the ducks, did I hear a mention of a tree lined A96 with little traffic, what a lovely dream !
Today the gloom was lifted by the hatching of the two eggs I saved from the gull duck nest raiders a month ago -
this is two they wont get !
The Latest tally on the duck numbers that I can ascertain is 64 killed and 20 survivors to date. These figures could still change because half the surviving ducklings will still be at risk for another couple of weeks yet. One of the beautiful white ducks is missing and I fear the worst ! All three were together on Sunday in the factors pool, by Monday morning only two could be seen. With High tides during the night this week, it allows Mink and Otters to traverse all the lower river to hunt at will. Mink hunt mainly by sight, and white ducks can be more easily seen. It would be tragic if the whites were lost before they get a chance to learn all the skills to survive !
