we have a pond we have nesting park ducks living in
the first few eggs were taken by the crow who lives in a tree at the
bottom the garden, it was messy and he ate them in the bird bath, well
he eats everything there, it looks likea scene from ER most of the time
but now 2 and then 4 eggs have just clean dissappeared , no debris and
shell anywhere in the bird bath area.
could the crow have changed its modus operandi or is there likely to be
another culprit, the eggs have gone in broad daylight, surley not a cat
or a fox?
on both heists not all the eggs have gone
and today she laid a small bantam size egg and was very distressed at
loosing 4 eggs
and is there anything we can do to help Matilda (the duck)
if you want any more info mail me

cheers andrew

"andrew fox"wrote
we have a pond we have nesting park ducks living in
the first few eggs were taken by the crow who lives in a tree at the
bottom the garden, it was messy and he ate them in the bird bath, well he
eats everything there, it looks likea scene from ER most of the time
but now 2 and then 4 eggs have just clean dissappeared , no debris and
shell anywhere in the bird bath area.
could the crow have changed its modus operandi or is there likely to be
another culprit, the eggs have gone in broad daylight, surley not a cat or
a fox?
on both heists not all the eggs have gone
and today she laid a small bantam size egg and was very distressed at
loosing 4 eggs
and is there anything we can do to help Matilda (the duck)
if you want any more info mail me


Probably a Fox, they bury them on our allotment sometimes and are about
during the day as well as at night.

--
Regards
Bob
In Runnymede, 17 miles West of London

On 23/5/05 17:08, in article ,
"andrew fox" wrote:

we have a pond we have nesting park ducks living in
the first few eggs were taken by the crow who lives in a tree at the
bottom the garden, it was messy and he ate them in the bird bath, well
he eats everything there, it looks likea scene from ER most of the time
but now 2 and then 4 eggs have just clean dissappeared , no debris and
shell anywhere in the bird bath area.
could the crow have changed its modus operandi or is there likely to be
another culprit, the eggs have gone in broad daylight, surley not a cat
or a fox?
on both heists not all the eggs have gone
and today she laid a small bantam size egg and was very distressed at
loosing 4 eggs
and is there anything we can do to help Matilda (the duck)
if you want any more info mail me

cheers andrew

Squirrels and rats will take eggs as will things like stoats. Foxes would
take the whole duck, too. You could try putting some wire netting across
the pond to contain her in one area and then some of that very light weight
plastic netting over that for a while.
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove the weeds to email me)

Sacha wrote:
On 23/5/05 17:08, in article ,
"andrew fox" wrote:

we have a pond we have nesting park ducks living in
the first few eggs were taken by the crow who lives in a tree at the
bottom the garden, it was messy and he ate them in the bird bath,
well he eats everything there, it looks likea scene from ER most of
the time but now 2 and then 4 eggs have just clean dissappeared , no
debris and shell anywhere in the bird bath area.
could the crow have changed its modus operandi or is there likely to
be another culprit, the eggs have gone in broad daylight, surley not
a cat or a fox?
on both heists not all the eggs have gone
and today she laid a small bantam size egg and was very distressed at
loosing 4 eggs
and is there anything we can do to help Matilda (the duck)
if you want any more info mail me

cheers andrew

Squirrels and rats will take eggs as will things like stoats. Foxes
would take the whole duck, too. You could try putting some wire
netting across the pond to contain her in one area and then some of
that very light weight plastic netting over that for a while.

Hedgehogs and squirrels are also rather partial to birds' eggs, though a
duck's might be rather on the large side...

--
In memory of MS MVP Alex Nichol: http://www.dts-l.org/

"Miss Perspicacia Tick" wrote in message
...
Sacha wrote:
On 23/5/05 17:08, in article ,
"andrew fox" wrote:

we have a pond we have nesting park ducks living in
the first few eggs were taken by the crow who lives in a tree at the
bottom the garden, it was messy and he ate them in the bird bath,
well he eats everything there, it looks likea scene from ER most of
the time but now 2 and then 4 eggs have just clean dissappeared , no
debris and shell anywhere in the bird bath area.
could the crow have changed its modus operandi or is there likely to
be another culprit, the eggs have gone in broad daylight, surley not
a cat or a fox?
on both heists not all the eggs have gone
and today she laid a small bantam size egg and was very distressed at
loosing 4 eggs
and is there anything we can do to help Matilda (the duck)
if you want any more info mail me

cheers andrew

Squirrels and rats will take eggs as will things like stoats. Foxes
would take the whole duck, too. You could try putting some wire
netting across the pond to contain her in one area and then some of
that very light weight plastic netting over that for a while.

Hedgehogs and squirrels are also rather partial to birds' eggs, though a
duck's might be rather on the large side...


Let's face it - almost anything big enough to fit the egg in its mouth or
beak could be regarded as a 'suspect'. Hopefully, the duck will choose a
safer nesting site next year, although some Mallards seem to specialise in
picking all sorts of daft places.

The message
from "BAC" contains these words:

Hedgehogs and squirrels are also rather partial to birds' eggs, though a
duck's might be rather on the large side...


Let's face it - almost anything big enough to fit the egg in its mouth or
beak could be regarded as a 'suspect'. Hopefully, the duck will choose a
safer nesting site next year, although some Mallards seem to specialise in
picking all sorts of daft places.

Somewhere I've a book which includes a pic of a couple of rats
carrying-off a large egg. One at is hugging the egg while the other rat
drags the egg-hugger by the tail.

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

Janet Baraclough wrote:
The message
from Jaques d'Alltrades contains
these words:


Somewhere I've a book which includes a pic of a couple of rats
carrying-off a large egg. One at is hugging the egg while the other rat
drags the egg-hugger by the tail.


IIRC it's in Beatrix Potter :-) Possibly the one where some dastardly
animal tried to make a roly-poly pudding out of Tom Kitten. I really
hated BP books because the animals were so horrible to each other.


that is called amthropomorphism or similar! its when animals are
characterised as being human, that is why they are so nasty to each
other to be like us! its done to aliens in scifi and "god" all the time

andrew












Janet

andrew fox wrote:
Janet Baraclough wrote:
Jaques d'Alltrades contains these words:
Somewhere I've a book which includes a pic of a couple of rats
carrying-off a large egg. One at is hugging the egg while the other rat
drags the egg-hugger by the tail.

IIRC it's in Beatrix Potter :-) Possibly the one where some dastardly
animal tried to make a roly-poly pudding out of Tom Kitten.

"The Tale of Samuel Whiskers". A great favourite!


I really hated BP books because the animals were so horrible to
each other.

that is called amthropomorphism or similar! its when animals are
characterised as being human, that is why they are so nasty to each
other to be like us! its done to aliens in scifi and "god" all the time

Animals *are* nasty to each other. Am I missing something here?

Survival of the fittest

--
National Service (RAF) Ass. Cosford 24 - 27 June Spitfire Fly Past
H.M.S.Impregnable Ass. Sussex 1 - 4 July Visit to Int. Fest of the Sea
RAF Regiment Assoc. Scarborough 2 - 5 Sept. Visit to Eden Camp
H.M.S.Collingwood Assn Trafalgar Dinner. Coventry October 21 - 24
"Chris Bacon" wrote in message
...

Animals *are* nasty to each other. Am I missing something here?

Chris Bacon wrote:
andrew fox wrote:

Janet Baraclough wrote:

Jaques d'Alltrades contains these words:

Somewhere I've a book which includes a pic of a couple of rats
carrying-off a large egg. One at is hugging the egg while the other rat
drags the egg-hugger by the tail.


IIRC it's in Beatrix Potter :-) Possibly the one where some dastardly
animal tried to make a roly-poly pudding out of Tom Kitten.


"The Tale of Samuel Whiskers". A great favourite!


I really hated BP books because the animals were so horrible to
each other.


that is called amthropomorphism or similar! its when animals are
characterised as being human, that is why they are so nasty to each
other to be like us! its done to aliens in scifi and "god" all the time


Animals *are* nasty to each other. Am I missing something here?

generally animals kill to eat
humans kill each other because they beleive in a slightly different
brand of god
have you ever heard of northern ireland, the tudors and the hugenots etc
, and nazi germany
animals dont do stuff like that to each other, and in fact neither do
women very much , exept a few tudor queens of course

andrew

The message
from Janet Baraclough contains these words:
The message
from Jaques d'Alltrades contains
these words:

Somewhere I've a book which includes a pic of a couple of rats
carrying-off a large egg. One at is hugging the egg while the other rat
drags the egg-hugger by the tail.

IIRC it's in Beatrix Potter :-) Possibly the one where some dastardly
animal tried to make a roly-poly pudding out of Tom Kitten. I really
hated BP books because the animals were so horrible to each other.

Nope. This was a photograph and was in a wildlife book, or something similar.

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

The message
from Janet Baraclough contains these words:

Nope. This was a photograph and was in a wildlife book, or something
similar.

So, BPotter was right about that....

Of course, the pic may have been published as an illustration of what a
fine wildlife observer BP was - early in life she specialised in
drawings of wildlife, especially botanical specimens.

I have a book - Wayside and Woodland Fungi (By W.P.K.Findlay, Warne,
ISBN 0 7232 0008 4) which includes illustrations by her.

now I'm wondering, do rats
really roll up kittens in pastry? :-(

I asked some of the local songbirds, and their answer was: "I wish!"

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

In article , Janet Baraclough
writes
The message
from Jaques d'Alltrades contains
these words:

So, BPotter was right about that....now I'm wondering, do rats
really roll up kittens in pastry? :-(

Well, if they do, you've solved the cat mess problem. Simply provide one
large bowl of mixed grains as a lure and one large bowl of pastry, and
wait for the rats to move in and do their stuff ;-)
--
Kay
"Do not insult the crocodile until you have crossed the river"