Ducks Trough

The Incubator ducklings are coming on fine and should be able for release in a couple of weeks. 

Since they have no mother to guide them, for safety sake I will have to keep them longer before release than the previous ones.

They have been thriving partly on chopped Lettuce kindly donated by several Trust members, and keeping the costs of care down.

Duck News September 2015

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 !!  

Faiths Babies

Summer is very much here and the river wildlife is enjoying warm days, short nights, and plenty of river weed and insect life. The cygnets are growing at a phenomenal rate, 

and we still have 33 surviving ducklings at the moment.

 Faith's ducklings are doing well at home along with the 4 motherless ones, and enjoying their new double decker pool, 

especially if it has 
lettuce in it ! 

Short video of having fun and cooling off below.

Cold Comfort

Yet another bitterly cold day with horrendous hail showers and cutting wind, coldest May I can ever remember !  The birds don't exactly relish it either, lack of Sun and warmth does not provide the insect life or river weed growth needed for feeding and keeping out the cold.

Provision of soft lettuce and lawn grass for the cygnets as they grow rapidly, nearly doubling in size from birth.

 Penny took them to the shelter of the island this morning, 

while the mother of the surviving links ducklings, keeps a careful watch over her brood.

Below,  Short video taken a few days ago Penny and cygnets having a wash and brush up !

White Duck Injured

Five days ago our beautiful white duck injured her leg, I have been closely monitoring her condition and thankfully she is now beginning to recover. This is a very dangerous time for ducks along the riverbank, the drakes testosterone levels are rising and they are pursuing the ducks. In addition, dogs are also scaring the birds suddenly, where they rush down the banks to the river. Exposed tree roots laying horizontally along the bank edges, allow the ducks feet and legs to go under roots and the downward momentum injures their leg muscles and joints.

I was fearful of the white duck having a broken leg, for she was sitting for 4 days with the leg behind her in the same position. I emailed photos and video to Sue our Avian expert, and she thought that it was probably not broken . Only yesterday did I see the duck partially using the leg, confirming Sue's assessment. It will most likely take 3 or 4 weeks for full use of the leg to return.

Meanwhile I am feeding her Mealworms, lettuce and grain seeds, to aid recovery.  Fortunately she has a good mate who is keeping strangers away, and keeping very close to her.