New Home For White Duck

After losing the previous white duck in the river, I decided to give the last one to a family in Auldearn with a Pond. It has joined some of it's siblings and other ducks, and I can report is very happy to be there. Being white stands out a mile, and a potential target for predators on the river.

Meanwhile the Motherless ducklings I have under care are developing well, and will be released into the river in due course.

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 !!  

Feelings - Even Ducks Have Them.

Yet more laments - the beautiful white duck is gone ! 

After only 4 days Blondie has lost 4 of her ducklings to the black backed gull. This is in addition to her sister who also lost her only duckling yesterday, it has been a heartbreaking week for me, after all the care and nurture of the past 8 weeks. 
The lament is also for the mother who lost her only duckling yesterday, she is still looking and calling for it today, how sad is that ? (short video below).  

Gales Herald Clock Change

Weather forecast for the coming days is strong winds and rain, add the clocks going back an hour and we have the most depressing time of year about to start.

The River birds have been stocking up on quality food provided daily by the River Nairn Swans and Waterfowl Trust. 

They are about to be joined by another 8 ducklings on Monday, reared since incubation 8 weeks ago.

It appears our last beautiful white duck must have been taken by a predator since I have not seen her since spring.

I had hoped she might have produced some offspring like herself, but this was not to be, If she was alive I am pretty sure she would have returned to the river by now. However we now have about 140 ducks on the river and they will stay on the lower reaches until spring....as long as there is food available!

Meanwhile the  4 Royal Pigeon Squabs are continuing to survive and grow.

 

Dazzling Drakes

Mallard drakes are beginning to look really good, with their new colours shining in the winter Sun.

 Our beautiful white Mallard duck is also looking great, as is our Swan family. 

Their daily ration of Wheat, Carrots and wholemeal bread, helps them through the cold winter nights.

Indian Summer ?

What an Amazing Summer we've had, 4 months and it's still looking good at the start of October. This is even better than 1976 from my recollections. The final count on surviving ducklings this year is 45 so far, I hope we don't get any late surprises like last years Halloween ducklings !

It has been a good year for the river birds, and all down to the good weather.

The Geese are back in sizable numbers, and can be seen and heard daily. Also on the go are 5 goosanders having a gander at the Swans as they came upstream today. 

The white duck has also returned for the winter months, after spending most of the summer half a mile away.

The river has been useless for fishing this year, with almost no significant rainfall throughout the summer.

This is the global warming we were all hoping for locally !

Waiting Game

Penny our Resident Pen is still having to play the waiting game for what is surely the longest incubation period for a British bird. However next week should see the cygnets emerge, and we all await to see how many new arrivals we have.

 Meanwhile our only surviving ducklings so far total 9 with a loss of 26 to predators and flooding. We should get quite a few more broods before too long since most of the females are nesting now. I had a report yesterday of a brown and white Spaniel chasing the ducklings, and the mother duck frantically diverting it away from them, another case of an uncontrolled dog after the wildlife !  Sadly I was alerted by a concerned Harbour St resident, to a small bird on the path near merryton bridge yesterday evening, it appeared to be sick.

 On inspection I could see it had lost it's right eye, perhaps to a cat or another bird. I took it home with the intention of calling the Scottish SPCA in the morning if it did not improve. Sadly it was dead by morning, I think infection of the missing eye socket was probably the cause. I think it was a juvenile Chiffchaff according to my book of birds.
On a happier note, sounds of Spring recorded the other evening when the white duck and Popeye looking magnificent showed up, a blackbird was singing away in the background. Short video below. 

Seagull Drummers

This past weeks weather has hopefully delayed nesting for many of the ducks, we don't want them kicking off too early and getting caught out later.

The white duck is still spending most of the time resting the injured leg and preening, 

but I have seen her use it sparingly, fortunately It does not affect her flying ability.

 I noticed yesterday the river drain above Merryton bridge staining the water Green, but was told by a passer by that it was food colouring used by Scottish water for testing, I hope so ! 

The gulls are seeking out protein in the form of drumming for worms, this simulates a mole digging, and the vibrations make the worms rise to the surface. More and more gulls are acquiring these skills, they are highly adaptable.(Short vid below.)

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.  

Man Flu

Despite a serious bout of Man Flu, I still managed to get to the River and feed the birds. Can't complain too much since it's at least two years since my last cold. It's amazing how the Swans can look so cumfy in the cold freezing conditions. Cygnets have been coupled off by the parents, but not yet expelled from the river for good.

The white duck finally has her mate, she has been working on him for months and now he keeps close, he is also a hybrid - she was determined to get him !

Cygnets Away Day - or Return ?

This morning I was surprised to see Popeye and Penny on their own, cygnets nowhere to be seen ! Anyway they both seemed to be enjoying a break from the kids !
I checked the harbour and the sea but no sign of them. A local resident saw them all flying earlier this morning, so it's possible they were taken to join a nearby flock by the parents, who then returned alone. I will be surprised if they have gone already, since they are not quite 5 months old - but if they have joined a flock then they may well be gone for good. 

The last two broods were not given the push until January, and the parents have shown no sign that they wanted this brood to go yet. We will see if they return tomorrow.
Meanwhile our lone white duck is still without a mate and looks very vulnerable. 

Duck News

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 !