Yesterday at 3:00 pm I went out and checked on Momma and the babies. All was OK with Momma keeping them warm.
At 5:30 pm my wife went out to look at them and what she found was very disturbing. We thought, being on top of the electric box they would be safe from everything. Wrong.
The nest was on the ground and three of the four babies as well as Momma were gone. The fourth baby was dead lying on the deck.
I don't know what happened, but I can only guess that maybe a Hawk or some other predatory bird in the area found it easy pickings.
It's very sad.
Oh no! Life for birds as well as humans can be fraught with danger. I hope the rest of the birds are out of harm's way.
ReplyDeleteHey Howard. We have a duck family that comes to the pond every year. I've never seen ducklings. I suppose it's just life in the wilds.
DeleteAww. That's sad to hear. Would a squirrel get curious and do such a thing?
ReplyDeleteI don't think so. The nest was in such a place that access by a squirrel would be next to impossible. Besides, I don't think squirrels are that aggressive.
DeleteI would say cat. You have any strays around--or your own?
ReplyDeleteOurs never go outside and I've not seen a stray around here in 7 years or so. Unfortunately what happened will probably remain a mystery.
DeleteRacoon? Opossom? Have you dusted for prints?
DeleteDarn it, Mark. Sorry to read the news. In a blink of an eye things can change from real to unreal. I don't know if you have Racoons in the area. but, they are a problem here in our area of Colorado.
ReplyDeleteDang.
ReplyDeleteMark
ReplyDeleteWhat a shame----reminds of the time my daughter at age 4 or 5 was keeping an eye on the Wren mother and her baby chicks and our family cat found the nest and made short order of the baby birds, needles to say my daughter was very upset.