Duck on a Loon at Tidewater

[Bob Poff]

A mallard was nesting in the cockpit of my H34.
I'm told that she had quite an audience.

When I got to the boat on Saturday evening she had left. And cleaned up after herself too!
One of my neighbors said that she had moved the eggs just that afternoon. He said that he actually saw her carry away the eggs.

There's no mess left in the boat. No egg shells, or other stuff. She even made off with the down she had laid on.
They should hatch sometime this week or next from what I figure. So I'm inclined to believe him.


Here's my question... (a verrrry long shot I know)
Do any of you from Tidewater Marina (Havre de Grace, MD) by chance have a picture of her moving the eggs?
Or know someone who does.
The wildlife expert at the TV station I work at would like a copy. As long as it's legible, it doesn't need to be high quality.
Especially if you can see her carrying an egg.

I have a few pictures of her nesting on my boat page here : LOONIE DUCK.

Thanks

 

[Ron20324]

My slip neighbor told me he had a nest on his boat. Someone told him the eggs had hatched. When he got to the boat, you couldn't tell there had ever been a duck on it- none the less the eggs hatched- and whatever mess that made.

 

[sailingdog]

Bob—

That's priceless... I hope you find someone who has a photo of it for you...

 

[Charlie13958]

Mother Goose

Here's a link to an Edmonton Alberta web cam. Eggs were laid around April 8,
should hatch 25-30 days, maybe start May 2nd.

http://www.edmontonjournal.com/story.html?id=1504245

 

[Bob Poff]

Ron, that's what I'm thinking.
The guy at work has been around wildlife a long time, and never heard of a duck moving her nest.

AND..... the story did come from a power boater.......

But there's nothing left there. Which amazes me. I thought there would be egg shells, or other "stuphe" from the duckilings to clean up.

 

[Ross]

The nest is always a throw away. when the eggs hatch the hen's only concern is for her babies. I got my dink out in June one year and there was about a half bushel of downy feathers in the floatation chamber that had been left open for ventilation. The hens will abandon a nest but I have never heard of one moving a nest. I don't believe that her beak will open enough for her to safely grasp an egg and lift it. The eggs are about two inches long and an inch and a quarter in diameter.

 

[Manny]

daffy ducks

The other day down at Log Pond I heard a loud bang then a loud scream coming from a really nice Cabo Rico - A split second later I see a woman running down the dock and a duck taking flight from the boat. She eventually made it down towards my slip and explained that she found a nest complete with eggs under a seat in the cockpit. Hopefully the duck didn't abandon ship after that.
Here's a couple of pix of a duck couple hanging on the boat that was tied up next to mine over the winter at Tidewater.

Manny

 

[Ross in Tampa]

Great images Bob... thanks