Anyone know anything about the sociology and natural history of Mallard
ducks?

We have an intriguing situation in our garden. The same family of
mallard take up residence in our garden every year (have done for about
the last five years). They consist of a pair and a younger drake. They
always arrive, from who knows where, in the third week in March and
always leave, for who knows where, in the third week of June. In the
meantime they waddle happily around the garden, completely unafraid of
us and roost under various hedges. Occasionally they nibble at the wild
bird seed we put down; on hot days they dabble in our pond and on one
occasion we had to check the young drake into our local vet. (He had
dislocated his hip in a clumsy landing, it was ok after a week of
anti-inflamatory injections, physiotherapy and feeding and was returned
to its parents(?) fit and well - the vet did it all for free - because
it was a wild animal). We have never seen any signs that these mallard
are actually breeding here - although a fair amount of ducky eroticism
seems to go on - not all of it straight.

Any body got any ideas where these mallard might get to between June and
the following March. Are mallard migratory?

rjbl

In message , rjbl
writes
Anyone know anything about the sociology and natural history of Mallard
ducks?

We have an intriguing situation in our garden. The same family of
mallard take up residence in our garden every year (have done for about
the last five years). They consist of a pair and a younger drake. They
always arrive, from who knows where, in the third week in March and
always leave, for who knows where, in the third week of June. In the
meantime they waddle happily around the garden, completely unafraid of
us and roost under various hedges. Occasionally they nibble at the wild
bird seed we put down; on hot days they dabble in our pond and on one
occasion we had to check the young drake into our local vet. (He had
dislocated his hip in a clumsy landing, it was ok after a week of
anti-inflamatory injections, physiotherapy and feeding and was returned
to its parents(?) fit and well - the vet did it all for free - because
it was a wild animal). We have never seen any signs that these mallard
are actually breeding here - although a fair amount of ducky eroticism
seems to go on - not all of it straight.

Any body got any ideas where these mallard might get to between June
and the following March. Are mallard migratory?

rjbl

Have you thought about posting this to uk.rec.birdwatching where there
are some very well informed group members, notably Malcolm Ogilvie, who
may well be able to shed light on your mallards' practices?
--
Gopher .... I know my place!

"rjbl" wrote in message
...
Anyone know anything about the sociology and natural history of Mallard
ducks?

We have an intriguing situation in our garden. The same family of mallard
take up residence in our garden every year (have done for about the last
five years). They consist of a pair and a younger drake. They always
arrive, from who knows where, in the third week in March and always leave,
for who knows where, in the third week of June. In the meantime they
waddle happily around the garden, completely unafraid of us and roost
under various hedges. Occasionally they nibble at the wild bird seed we
put down; on hot days they dabble in our pond and on one occasion we had
to check the young drake into our local vet. (He had dislocated his hip in
a clumsy landing, it was ok after a week of anti-inflamatory injections,
physiotherapy and feeding and was returned to its parents(?) fit and
well - the vet did it all for free - because it was a wild animal). We
have never seen any signs that these mallard are actually breeding here -
although a fair amount of ducky eroticism seems to go on - not all of it
straight.

Any body got any ideas where these mallard might get to between June and
the following March. Are mallard migratory?

rjbl

Have you considered breaking out the pancakes and plum sauce yummy

pied piper wrote:
"rjbl" wrote in message
...
Anyone know anything about the sociology and natural history of
Mallard ducks?

We have an intriguing situation in our garden. The same family of
mallard take up residence in our garden every year (have done for
about the last five years). They consist of a pair and a younger
drake. They always arrive, from who knows where, in the third week
in March and always leave, for who knows where, in the third week of
June. In the meantime they waddle happily around the garden,
completely unafraid of us and roost under various hedges.
Occasionally they nibble at the wild bird seed we put down; on hot
days they dabble in our pond and on one occasion we had to check the
young drake into our local vet. (He had dislocated his hip in a
clumsy landing, it was ok after a week of anti-inflamatory
injections, physiotherapy and feeding and was returned to its
parents(?) fit and well - the vet did it all for free - because it was a
wild animal).
We have never seen any signs that these mallard are actually
breeding here - although a fair amount of ducky eroticism seems to
go on - not all of it straight.

Any body got any ideas where these mallard might get to between June
and the following March. Are mallard migratory?

rjbl

Have you considered breaking out the pancakes and plum sauce yummy

lol I must confess, it did occur to me

Ophelia wrote:
pied piper wrote:
"rjbl" wrote in message
...
Anyone know anything about the sociology and natural history of
Mallard ducks?

We have an intriguing situation in our garden. The same family of
mallard take up residence in our garden every year (have done for
about the last five years). They consist of a pair and a younger
drake. They always arrive, from who knows where, in the third week
in March and always leave, for who knows where, in the third week of
June. In the meantime they waddle happily around the garden,
completely unafraid of us and roost under various hedges.
Occasionally they nibble at the wild bird seed we put down; on hot
days they dabble in our pond and on one occasion we had to check the
young drake into our local vet. (He had dislocated his hip in a
clumsy landing, it was ok after a week of anti-inflamatory
injections, physiotherapy and feeding and was returned to its
parents(?) fit and well - the vet did it all for free - because it was a
wild animal).
We have never seen any signs that these mallard are actually
breeding here - although a fair amount of ducky eroticism seems to
go on - not all of it straight.

Any body got any ideas where these mallard might get to between June
and the following March. Are mallard migratory?

rjbl
Have you considered breaking out the pancakes and plum sauce yummy

lol I must confess, it did occur to me


Bit risky with native waterfowl - Cl. botulinum is endemic in most of
them - tastes nice but kills 80% of the infected consumers. Best to
stick to hygienic, farmed ducks.
rjbl

In article ,
rjbl wrote:
Ophelia wrote:
pied piper wrote:

Any body got any ideas where these mallard might get to between June
and the following March. Are mallard migratory?

Have you considered breaking out the pancakes and plum sauce yummy

lol I must confess, it did occur to me

Bit risky with native waterfowl - Cl. botulinum is endemic in most of
them - tastes nice but kills 80% of the infected consumers. Best to
stick to hygienic, farmed ducks.

Nice to see some irony again.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

rjbl wrote:
Bit risky with native waterfowl - Cl. botulinum is endemic in most of
them - tastes nice but kills 80% of the infected consumers. Best to
stick to hygienic, farmed ducks.
rjbl

Oh dear Well, admittedly we haven't shot and eaten Mallard, but we have
been ok with Teal.

In article ,
Ophelia wrote:
rjbl wrote:
Bit risky with native waterfowl - Cl. botulinum is endemic in most of
them - tastes nice but kills 80% of the infected consumers. Best to
stick to hygienic, farmed ducks.

Oh dear Well, admittedly we haven't shot and eaten Mallard, but we have
been ok with Teal.

You didn't actually BELIEVE that, did you? It was either irony or
bullshit.

Clostridium botulinum is widespread in the environment, and you are
almost certain to be exposed to it. Eating anything that has come
in contact with aquatic sediment (animal OR vegetable) may be the
best way to do so, but it's simplest to regard it as inevitable.

It can grow ONLY in fairly low acid, anaerobic conditions, which is
why home preservation of low acid foods is dangerous (of the sort
that excludes air). The toxin is also destroyed by cooking. This
bacterium is one reason that it is illegal for restaurants to put
uncooked meat (which may carry the spores) in the same refrigerator
as cooked meat (in which it may grow, and will be served without
further cooking).

Most people are in no danger from eating the spores, as it cannot
grow in the acidic conditions of their gut. Curiously, I am at more
risk than most people, as I am on proton pump inhibitors, but I
don't worry.

See Wikipedia.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

wrote:
In article ,
Ophelia wrote:
rjbl wrote:
Bit risky with native waterfowl - Cl. botulinum is endemic in most
of them - tastes nice but kills 80% of the infected consumers. Best
to stick to hygienic, farmed ducks.

Oh dear Well, admittedly we haven't shot and eaten Mallard, but
we have been ok with Teal.

You didn't actually BELIEVE that, did you? It was either irony or
bullshit.

Nodnodnod *blush* Hey, give me a chance... I just got here That will
teach me not to check)

Clostridium botulinum is widespread in the environment, and you are
almost certain to be exposed to it. Eating anything that has come
in contact with aquatic sediment (animal OR vegetable) may be the
best way to do so, but it's simplest to regard it as inevitable.

It can grow ONLY in fairly low acid, anaerobic conditions, which is
why home preservation of low acid foods is dangerous (of the sort
that excludes air).

Whoa! I knew that!!! *double blush* If he had said something about
preserving garlic in oil (for example) ............. my fault.

The toxin is also destroyed by cooking. This
bacterium is one reason that it is illegal for restaurants to put
uncooked meat (which may carry the spores) in the same refrigerator
as cooked meat (in which it may grow, and will be served without
further cooking).

Nodnodod

Most people are in no danger from eating the spores, as it cannot
grow in the acidic conditions of their gut. Curiously, I am at more
risk than most people, as I am on proton pump inhibitors, but I
don't worry.

Thanks Nick I suppose because I am new here, I am taking in everything I
read

You taught me a good lesson

O, the preserver and cook g

In article ,
Ophelia wrote:

Nodnodnod *blush* Hey, give me a chance... I just got here That will
teach me not to check)

Heck - I haven't learnt that in 40 years :-)


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/bird...lard/index.asp

Great ones for gang bangs are mallards. Fearful scandal locally when an unfortunate duck eventually drowned as a result.

wrote:
In article ,
Ophelia wrote:

Nodnodnod *blush* Hey, give me a chance... I just got here That
will teach me not to check)

Heck - I haven't learnt that in 40 years :-)

g ta

"Janet Baraclough" wrote in message
...
The message
from "Ophelia" contains these words:

Thanks Nick I suppose because I am new here, I am taking in everything
I
read

Nobody's taken in by the sugar act, or the newbie pretence.

You're not new in urg, Ophelia. Your recent smear about Anne Jackson
was a reminder of your previous posting history here.

Janet

From google's archive
BEWARE NET COP
.................................................. .................................................. ..............................................

Newsgroups: uk.rec.gardening
From: "Ophelia"
Date: Fri, 6 Apr 2007 10:02:04 +0100
Local: Fri, Apr 6 2007 9:02 am
Subject: Russian vine
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Ahaaaaaaaaaaaaaa I see Sacha is spreading poison here too!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The only person who trolls is the nasty bitch Sacha who is never happy
until
she is causing problems and crying TROLL!!!

You can pack it in Sacha. I won't let you get away with it here too.

end quote

Janet Baraclough wrote:

Is this supposed to show me up!! Consult with Sacha on this.

Changed days Janet. Both Sacha and myself have seen through you!

She believed your lies. We both know better now.

Ophelia wrote:
Janet Baraclough wrote:

Is this supposed to show me up!! Consult with Sacha on this.

Changed days Janet. Both Sacha and myself have seen through you!

She believed your lies. We both know better now.

Just to add, I have not lied in what you call my 'smear' and you know it.

I will not be drawn into your troublemaking. I am here to learn about
gardening.

Drag up what you will, I am sure I could reciprocate, but I won't!