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Ducklings on the Pells lake today
 
 
On 28 Mar 2011 at 11:07am Julia Squeezer wrote:
There were two clutches of ducklings on the Pells lake this morning. Is this early? I don't remember seeing them much before May in previous years.
Neither of them had a mother with them; maybe the mothers were at their nests hatching the rest of their clutches.
All remarks about mallards imaginaires, etc., will be treated with the contempt they deserve.
 
 
On 28 Mar 2011 at 12:04pm Hoist wrote:
Last year there was a group with no mother around. We were a bit worried - at one stage there was a big group of people trying to feed them cat food -but most of them seemed to survive.
Don't feed them bread though- they need protein.
 
 
On 28 Mar 2011 at 4:08pm bastian wrote:
the swan on the ouse bank near the marina is sitting on two eggs
 
 
On 28 Mar 2011 at 11:06pm Twitch wrote:
We saw four buzzards circling and diving near the southease bridge on Sunday.
 
 
On 29 Mar 2011 at 7:30am MC wrote:
The buzzards are making a surprisingly strong reappearance. There are six mating pairs on the estate behind my home and an unusually light coloured one has taken up residence at Barcombe Mills. I've also seen a single Red Kite a couple of times in the last three years.
 
 
On 29 Mar 2011 at 9:07am Julia Squeezer wrote:
I saw buzzards over the water-meadows early last summer while swimming in the Pells Pool - an experience you wouldn't get in an indoor pool.
But can anyone tell me if these ducklings are early? With any luck they will be too big to be eaten by the time the bullfrogs get going.
 
 
On 29 Mar 2011 at 9:33am jonnyboy wrote:
Mallards start to pair up in October and November, and start to nest in March. The ducklings you've seen in May are probably a second clutch. Ducklings are regularly killed by swans, foxes, dogs, cats, weasels, stoats, pike and DUCKS. I've heard there are American bullfrogs in the Pells area and they too would take ducklings. However I've only heard and seen Marsh frogs there and they are not a threat to ducklings. If you find a nestful of duck eggs, leave it well alone; it is unlikely to have been abandoned. The laying period is very stressful for the female as she lays more than half her body weight in eggs in a couple of weeks. She needs a lot of rest and depends heavily on her mate to protect her and their feeding and loafing areas.
 
 
On 29 Mar 2011 at 9:48am MC wrote:
The ducks round our way are laying eggs now. Mallard eggs take about a month to hatch so ducklings now (according to a straw poll on my local pond) does seem early.
 
 
On 29 Mar 2011 at 3:56pm bastian wrote:
This is the first year we've seen red kites but apparently they have been in sussex for a few years,they were over the golf course


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