Ducks?

[cee-dee]

Every day I go for a walk round the lake, watch the birds, meet the dogs (and owners) and give the birds some food. I try to get it to the Moorhens and Coot but the Ducks are greedy and in the Winter, there's the screeching Seagulls trying to get the food.

Earlier in the week I met a lady with a Black Lab who sometimes walks round and chats. She said she'd seen some Ducklings. I said that it was far too late for Ducklings and wondered if she was mistaken.

Today, I met a chap with a couple of small Terriers that I see regularly. I'd told him a few days ago what the lady had said and he agreed it was too late for Ducklings.

When we spoke today, he said he was astonished to see the Duclings and there were NINE! As we chatted, one was paddling about. A bit later, I saw the whole brood of nine but I don't think many, if any will survive? Not only will there be less food for them, it'll soon be very cold and as if that wasn't bad enough for them, the other Ducks peck at them (I saw three do it while I watched) and also, the Ducks are always squabbling and don't care who or what's in their way.

Has anyone else seen newly hatched broods of Ducklings in the middle of November?

[margaret*e]

Not that I can remember, maybe the odd weather confused them.

[bankhaunter]

I haven't, not in all the years I've been fishing.

[baybizz]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uu2usN6nIOY

~

[fallen-archie]

Mallards can and do breed year round dependent upon weather and availability of food, in the case of those in your pond they appear to get there food subsidised by locals and that may well influence their breeding.

[cee-dee]

Have you seen Ducklings this time of year?

There was no sign of them today, but they could have been anywhere, probably on the island.

[fallen-archie]

Yes although not here but in east anglia

[bankhaunter]

The only odd thing I've seen with water birds this year is a pair of swans going around with five cygnets and an apparently rather confused goose.

[**bustysinclaire**]

I'm like you CD and fortunately enough to have lakes to walk round, I've never seen ducklings this late in the year though.

It was a very bitter mourning this morning as I walked around and there were plenty of ducks about. You mentioning survival though reminded me of the gorgeous cygnets that were on the water earlier this year, I took a picture and was thrilled to bits to see them. 

As you can see the pair started off with eight and slowly the number dwindled down to 3. I saw them really late summer and then today I saw them again and only one was with them, almost the same size now as mum and dad and only a small amount of brown fluffy feather left.

So sad to think those lovely little ducklings didn't make it to adult hood.

[cee-dee]

A summer view, looking over to the island.

[cee-dee]

Another view looking out from the South path over to the island again:-

[**bustysinclaire**]

Beautiful CD, can I ask where that is? Our largest lake is arrow valley park In the middle of Redditch Worcs but we have a good few much smaller ones and rivers around the area. I do believe the lakes are man made though.