Feeding the ducks...redux

[Ed W]

The ponds at Centennial Park are frozen over except for a small patch of open water on the largest one.  The ducks are cut off from their normal forage.  In fact, when I took Duchess the Wonder Dog out there on Friday, the ducks waddled over to the car looking for food.  They're plenty hungry.

So we stopped at Atwoods for some corn.  All I could find was Cardinal food, cracked corn mixed with sunflower seeds.  She-Who-Must-Be-Obeyed insisted that we go back to feed 'Her' ducks. 

It turns out that they like corn just fine.  We were nearly mugged by a gang of ducks.  We gave them the whole bag, about 4 pounds of feed, then went to le Mart du Wal for more.  Yes, I held my nose and shopped there.  We bought a sack of squirrel feed.

Now, Red admonished me previously for feeding them bread, so I was thinking that corn and sunflower seeds supply more nutrition and probably a lot more calories in this cold weather.  I told him about it in a private message, and he was good enough to look up some sources for bulk cracked corn.  It turns out that Southern Agriculture sells a 50 pound bag for less than $15.  There's a Southern Ag store right around the corner, so Duchess and I went to look.  Sure enough, there's now a 50 pound sack sitting on the desk.

Thanks, Red!

Here are some photos from today's excursion:



The two ginormous drakes just left of center are the pond mafiosos.  When they show up, all the others step aside out of respect.

[Red Arrow]

Now, Red admonished me previously for feeding them bread, so I was thinking that corn and sunflower seeds supply more nutrition and probably a lot more calories in this cold weather.  I told him about it in a private message, and he was good enough to look up some sources for bulk cracked corn.  It turns out that Southern Agriculture sells a 50 pound bag for less than $15.  There's a Southern Ag store right around the corner, so Duchess and I went to look.  Sure enough, there's now a 50 pound sack sitting on the desk.

Thanks, Red!

We do it for the ducks.  I'm glad I could help.

[Jonette2]

I worry about the wildlife getting enough food in the winter also. I have two macaws and they waste a lot of food. When I clean their cage trays, I dump all the scrap food out in the yard so the squirrels and birds can make use of it all. The squirrels love the nuts and forage in the piles of food a lot. There is some pretty expensive parrot food being fed to wild animals in my yard. ha

[RecycleMichael]

If you then eat the squirrels, the circle of life will be complete.

[Conan71]

The ponds at Centennial Park are frozen over except for a small patch of open water on the largest one.  The ducks are cut off from their normal forage.  In fact, when I took Duchess the Wonder Dog out there on Friday, the ducks waddled over to the car looking for food.  They're plenty hungry.

So we stopped at Atwoods for some corn.  All I could find was Cardinal food, cracked corn mixed with sunflower seeds.  She-Who-Must-Be-Obeyed insisted that we go back to feed 'Her' ducks.  

It turns out that they like corn just fine.  We were nearly mugged by a gang of ducks.  We gave them the whole bag, about 4 pounds of feed, then went to le Mart du Wal for more.  Yes, I held my nose and shopped there.  We bought a sack of squirrel feed.

Now, Red admonished me previously for feeding them bread, so I was thinking that corn and sunflower seeds supply more nutrition and probably a lot more calories in this cold weather.  I told him about it in a private message, and he was good enough to look up some sources for bulk cracked corn.  It turns out that Southern Agriculture sells a 50 pound bag for less than $15.  There's a Southern Ag store right around the corner, so Duchess and I went to look.  Sure enough, there's now a 50 pound sack sitting on the desk.

Thanks, Red!

I somehow missed this post originally.  We had a cyclocross race at Centennial Park on Dec. 9.  It was a sloppy mess on two of the creek crossings, but a lot of fun.  Do you live near there?

[sauerkraut]

I feed ducks and birds too if I have food scraps to give 'em- the only problem with ducks is they poop all over.

[Townsend]

I feed ducks and birds too if I have food scraps to give 'em- the only problem with ducks is they poop all over.

Waterfowl poo is important to you.

[sauerkraut]

I worry about the wildlife getting enough food in the winter also. I have two macaws and they waste a lot of food. When I clean their cage trays, I dump all the scrap food out in the yard so the squirrels and birds can make use of it all. The squirrels love the nuts and forage in the piles of food a lot. There is some pretty expensive parrot food being fed to wild animals in my yard. ha

Alot of people worry about wildlife getting enough food, but actually they know how to take care of themselves, They say always feeding wild animals  makes wildlife too dependent on people. The wildlife gets lazy and hangs around waiting for free handouts instead of getting their own food. Just like people when you give people free money without working they get lazy too.

[sauerkraut]

Waterfowl poo is important to you.

They poop on the grass and walkways where people walk. Canada geese are big poopers.

[Ed W]

I somehow missed this post originally.  We had a cyclocross race at Centennial Park on Dec. 9.  It was a sloppy mess on two of the creek crossings, but a lot of fun.  Do you live near there?

We live west of the park, just behind Reasors.  I wanted to go to the cyclocross races, but I was still recovering and it wasn't a good idea to be out in the cold and wet.  Perfect cyclocross conditions, I know, 'cause I rode in them when we had the races up at the sports complex.  If a circus bear had been in the race, he would have lapped me!

I'm still having difficulty adapting to the cold this winter.  Normally it's doesn't bother me, but since the surgery I simply cannot stay warm.

The ducks know me now, and they follow me in the water when I try to walk the dog.  But their interest in cracked corn seems to have fallen off. 

[heironymouspasparagus]

It turns out that they like corn just fine.  We were nearly mugged by a gang of ducks.  We gave them the whole bag, about 4 pounds of feed, then went to le Mart du Wal for more.  Yes, I held my nose and shopped there.  We bought a sack of squirrel feed.

The two ginormous drakes just left of center are the pond mafiosos.  When they show up, all the others step aside out of respect.

The smaller greenhead males are Mallard.  The two large ones are almost certainly Rouen's.  Look almost identical except for size.  Rouen's used to be a fairly popular farm duck.  Mallard's are great to hunt.


Main difference other than size is that most Rouen's have a 'streak' through the dark tail section that is darker than the similar streak on a Mallard - Rouen is usually darker grey, Mallard's streak is bright white.  But there are lots of variations, so go with the size.

Looks like there is some mixing going on there, too.  The female at the right foreground is quite a bit bigger than a normal Mallard hen, but not quite as big as a normal Rouen hen.  They all are probably derived from Mallard, just the R's bred bigger for farms over the years.

[sauerkraut]

When I took part in that Polar Bear Plunge event January 1st the west park area where the event was held had alot of geese & duck poop all over the grounds and even on the pavement. It's nasty stuff, you have to watch were you step.