Feeding Our Gang of Visiting Ducks
For about the last 5-6 years each spring and through the summer we have our mallard families visiting for breakfast lunch and dinner. Their menu is very consistent -- crushed corn. If the corn isn't there when they arrive they wait until we notice them and come to greet us as we go to get the corn.
Tonight there was a family of nine! The Park has a pond right down from us where they spend a lot of time and we enjoy feeding them in the woods. Some times we'll see them waddle up and down the streets. One year we got a special thanks when a momma duck brought her eight babies up to visit! I had a picture but can't find it! It was almost like she was telling them, "this is where you come to eat".
We also feed a few racoons, bunnies and possums which keeps them out of trouble for the rest of the
neighborhood. They seem to know to stay in the woods and not venture out into the neighborhood. Our feeling is that they were here first and where are they supposed to go as we keep taking away their space.
In the fall and winter we don't get to see much of the more nocturnal creatures but in the late spring and summer the female racoon's come out in early evening -- getting away from the kids!
We enjoy living next door to these woods and getting to share in seeing a lot of the inhabitants. Even a huge snapping turtle one spring making it's way from its winter home back to the pond.
Sue of Robin and Sue
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