Ducks!!

Hello one and all!

I am always happy to welcome wildlife into our garden but some recent, unexpected, visitors have got me thinking.

We have a small pond (about 5 foot square surface area) that currently has frogspawn and tadpoles. A few days ago a number of passing ducks 'found' our garden pond and now call in several times a day, for a good splash round and a rummage on the bottom.

Questions: Will the ducks eat the spawn/tadpoles? Will their 'deposits' and antics harm the pond, given its small volume? :confused:

Quack! Quack!

http://www.cobbybrook.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/images/ducks1.jpg

http://www.cobbybrook.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/images/ducks2.jpg

 

Ducks are a pain! I don't know if they eat frogspawn and taddies but I wouldn't put it past them. They will gobble all your plants and foul the water so I would discourage them any way you can. Your pics show you have a pair so they may be looking to set up shop and nest. Ducks are great on lakes or tidal reaches but are murder on small ponds.

I hear they go well with oranges!

 

:D

 

We have the same problem every year and I agree 100% with frogesque. Whoever sees them first gives the loud warcry "ENTEN ALARM" (DUCK ALARM), rushes outside, grabs the good 3 meter long net on a pole that is propped up on the house wall, waves it around and/or smacks the water surface with it (but not when frogs are there to spawn!)and yells out shoo, scat or something like it. The ducks fly off - but sometimes sneak back to try and nest again. An old towel is also good for flapping with. Sometimes it has been a case of who has the most patience - the ducks or Hubby and I! We were lucky this year as the ducks obviously found a friendlier pond after only 2 or 3 attempts on ours. Persevere cobbybrook and chase them out every time you spot them!

 

Golly - what a palava - great exercise though!

Our ducks occasionally come into the garden, but usually stay on the back which runs round the east side of gardenm.

 

Well, I've just had a good laugh at K-G's antics and can just visualise she and/or Hubby flailing this three metre pole around shouting warcries and hitting the water! :eek:

I won't say what we're having for Easter Sunday dinner but we are in the middle of the orange orchards ...

 

qwack quack!

 

Waco, my diminutive one (plus a pound or two), why ever would you say that! :rolleyes:

PS Does the duck have a lisp or speech impediment?

 

I know this is going to sound a bit kwackers sorry crackers! but do they not taste as good if they have a lisp or speach impediment? :confused:
MEF750

 

The ducks will devour everything fish, plants the lot we have just had to empty and clean our pond as it was full of ugh and soil, nothing else all the frogs are gone and not a single plant insight.
I'm afraid we will have to start all over again.

 

Years ago our neighbours had a duck nest in their pond, and two of the youngsters came back several years in a row to nest there too. The neighbours had to put some boards across the patio door to stop the ducks coming in, they were that tame! Their pond was really one giant mess and to stop them doing the same to our pond when they came through the fence, we went into action shooing them back into their "own" garden and pond. As cute as the little ones look - no way we want them in our pond. Oh, the neighbours don't want them any more either. The original ones are gone now and any new ones are chased away.