I have lived in the same house for 11 years my neighbours and I have a small river /stream running through our gardens.
Every year I have many wild mallards, I can have as many as 30 all at once, (on my Garden) they breed in the gardens,
Last year there numbers dropped dramaticley. This year only saw approx 6 adults and we had 3 lots of chicks,
For the past month NOT ONE DUCK have we seen. Does anyone out there know what is happening to them.
I do have my own theory. Alice Robinson
I'm wondering if there is an American Mink in your area. They will eat everything.
And Welcome to the RSPB Forums. :-)
Bumped this Alice, in the hope that others can help.
An optimist sees the beauty of the complete rose.A pessimist sees only the thorn .
Hi Alice and welcome to the forum,
We have mink in our area due to some idiots releasing them from a mink farm many years ago. They take duck eggs and tiny ones from the river near us, but we seem to have more babies than usual this year, which is good.
Cheers, Linda.
See my photos on Flickr
Unknown said:I do have my own theory. Alice Robinson
Hi Alice and welcome to the forum.
All sorts of things will predate mallard eggs and ducklings. Mink as has been suggested but also otters and of course foxes. Without knowing where you live we can only speculate.
Perhaps you should tell us what is your theory.
Regards TJ
____________________________________________________________________
Tony
My Flickr Photostream
Sheena said: Bumped this Alice, in the hope that others can help.
Hi sheena
Never used this site before to report, what does bumped mean? Im presuming it means youve forward it to some other place? thanks Alice
Mink are certainly voracious predators and may have something to do with it. However, wild birds are constantly at the mercy of the changing environment and numbers will fluctuate depending on changes in food availability, habitat, weather conditions and breeding success. Remember we are on the back of a severe winter and water birds are one of the groups of birds that may have suffered locally. Could it be that there has been disturbance in their normal range which has forced them to relocate? Hope these ideas may touch on some likely explanations
If you have another theory then please share this with us, we may be able to offer some feedback.
Warden Intern at Otmoor.
Hi Alice and welcome to the RSPB Forum. Enjoy yourself here
I think that Ian has said that Mink could be a contributor to the downfall of your Ducks
Yes, sadly there are a few predators that will eat duck eggs and Foxes, Squirrels, Magpies, Mink and many more will be the opportunists as they are.
It could be weather related or the ducks could be first time mothers and are not making a good job of their mothering instincts.
Anyway hope that your theory is to do with what we are think here.
Bumping up a thread means bringing a thread like yours to the top of the pile so that it is readily noticed by current members who are on the RSPB site.
Regards
Kathy and Dave
Unknown said: Bumped this Alice, in the hope that others can help.
Hi Alice as said by Blackbird,bumping a thread is to put it back to the top of the pile so that hopefully, others will notice it.Posts get very quickly lost when a lot of threads are being responded too or started.:0)
I agree with Ian,
Mink are publicised alot for these type of declines but there are other factors.
I too have seen a drop in young ducklings on my local pond and there are no real predators present as there is an island in the middle of the pond where most of the ducks breed.
I would suggest it is alot to do with the weather we have had and a later breeding season.
Also when it comes to predators Herons and not forgotting that Otter on Springwatch this year who took those Mallard ducklings.
Lots to consider
Craig
Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better. - Albert Einstein