The Lincolnshire Bird Club

Next door neighbour in Louth has discovered a mallard on eggs, amongst the ivy on a wall at head height. The garden is enclosed, apart from an alleyway to the main road - a long way from water. Neighbour has a dog, we have cats. Eggs due to hatch in 10-14 days.

RSPCA says let nature take its course. Anyone have a better plan?

Geoff

Hi Geoff,

When I first moved to Sleaford, a Mallard regularly nested in our back garden, over a main road from the nearby River Slea. When the eggs hatched we used to collect all the ducklings and the duck and take them over to the river. You cannot just move the ducklings without getting the adult female as well. However when doing this you cannot let the duck go near other ducks as the local drakes will pester and chase the duck around leading to chaos for the ducklings.

Alan

Thanks Alan. A question I have posed on more than one occasion - how do you catch the adult?

Geoff