"Nests, Eggs & Babies"


"Mallard Duck"

"male"

"female"

"juvenile"

	Mallard "hen" with "ducklings" Photograph by © Snow W. Frost
	Photograph by © Snow W. Frost
	Photograph by © Snow W. Frost
	Photograph by © Snow W. Frost
	Photograph by © Snow W. Frost
	Mallard "eggs" Photograph by © Snow W. Frost
	Mallard "eggs" Photograph by © Snow W. Frost
	Mallard "eggs" Photograph by © Snow W. Frost
	Mallard "eggs" Photograph by © Snow W. Frost
	"Mallard hen and duckling swimming" Photograph by © Snow W. Frost
	Photograph by © Snow W. Frost
	Photograph by © Snow W. Frost

Nest: ground; female builds: 1 brood per year. Nest consists of leaves, and down.

Eggs: 7-10

Incubation: 26-30 days; female incubates

Fledging: 42-52 days; female leds young to food

Food: seeds, plants, aquatic insects





My personal notes...
There is a cute couple who are Mallards that live on the lake nearby. I've named them Henry and Henrietta...they're very devoted to each other, and have been at this lake for over 3 years. Henry is now the "top bird" at this lake...chasing all newcommers away...or at least, tries to. Henrietta, has layed eggs many times, but has never been successful in having them hatch. Right now, she's sitting on eggs, but if Henry wants to go for a swim...she'll just get up and leave the eggs...she loves Henry more than those eggs I guess.





"Henrietta"



"First Nest"
January 10, 2003
"Henrietta", the Mallard hen, layed 10 beautiful white-ish eggs in a nest under the stairwell to my apartment building. She chose that location because the nest was near the lake, and she knew she would get fed by all the residents. This was the first time Henrietta had ever made an actual nest...up until now, she just would drop an egg here and there...never tending to them, for about two years. I guess finally "mother instinct" set in, and she decided to do things right.

Henrietta made a nest of down, leaves, twigs, and dirt, and sat faithfully on her nest for four weeks...almost time for the hatching. She would only leave her nest briefly to feed, and visit her mate Henry at the pond for a quick swim together. Unfortunately, her location was a bad choice... Although she thought she had a clear view of everything, she didn't plan on a predator attacking her from in front...there was nowhere to go to escape...and she lost her life to a huge raccoon. The residents were careful not to feed her next to the nest to attract predators, but I guess the predator could smell the eggs. Poor Henrietta, met her fate that evening in February 2003, at an early age of only 3 years old. Her eggs did not hatch in spite of an effort by one of the residents.

Amazing, how a simple, plain looking female mallard can touch your heart as she did mine...she is so greatly missed. Henry, her faithful mate, has missed her so much, and walks around the lake calling for her. When a female Muscovy hen had her ducklings and brought them to the lake, Henry was like a "Godfather" to the ducklings, and helped the Muscovy hen keep a watchful eye on them to keep them safe. It is because of his efforts that the Muscovy's ducklings...8 out of 10, have had to opportunity to grow up.





More information about Mallard Ducks:
"Mallard Ducks"





"Bird Wonderland"
"Wonderland"

Copyright © 1999-2003 Snow W. Frost
All rights reserved.
Reproduction without permission is strictly forbidden.