Birder question - duck nest in our garden.

[3catwoman3]

Yesterday, my husband went out the back garage door and startled a duck, who "shot out of there like a bolt of lightning," 'there' being a very large patch of mint plants directly behind the garage.

To our surprise, there is a very well constructed nest right on the ground, completely hidden unless you know, as we now do, that it is there. There were 6 eggs in it. We kept watch all day, from a respectful distance, and saw no momma duck. We've been feeling rather sad, fearing that she was frightened away forever, and that the eggs have been abandoned.

I peeked in there today, and now there are 7 eggs! She obviously came back. I took a picture yesterday, so am 100% certain that there were "only" 6.

I read that geese do not start sitting on their eggs until the last one has been deposited. Do ducks do the same thing? Is there hope for this clutch of eggs?

Should we try to leave out any sort of food or water for the momma, and, if so, what kind?

[applegrove]

1. If you leave them alone momma will come back. If you put out food it might attract predators like

raccoons who will eat the eggs. Mamma ducks nest way, way out of the way so that nobody knows where they are. That is why you see internet memes of mother ducks walking across highways (and being protected in traffic by police or civilians) followed by 8 ducklings. They nest nowhere near water just so raccoons will not find their eggs. So once all the chicks are hatched and the babies can walk they then make the long and dangerous (think roads, think storm drains) trek back to water. So no corn or anything. Mamma needs time alone. She can fly to get food or water. For now she needs to know her eggs are safe.

[3catwoman3]

2. Thank you. We will follow our first inclination to stay away.

I will have to try to talk my husband out of mowing the lawn near there.

Is it OK if I peek once a day to see if any more eggs show up?

[applegrove]

3. I don't know. I've seen a nest with duck between a parkway and the concrete

wall of a hospital. There was about 15 feet. That momma was not afraid of cars as much as she was afraid of predators. Depends on the momma. Animals are amazing adapters.

[TygrBright]

4. Momma birds can be brave as lions...

...but not always very bright about choosing nest sites.

We have a wood dove (aka ringneck) family who chose a nest site on our upstairs porch's portale, a location which probably seemed deserted when she chose it, but now that the weather is better, it gets regular traffic, including the handyman climbing a ladder to the roof to connect up the swamp cooler for the season, my esposo sitting in the adirondack chair to write, and me doing my stretching exercises daily.

We do try to stay at the other end of the porch and not do anything too threatening, but my heart bleeds for that poor mama dove!

The handyman said the chick looked pretty big, so hopefully it'll fledge soon and we can clear the nest away.

worriedly,
Bright

[applegrove]

5. I had a robin's nest under my deck once. I think they nest near humans

sometimes to steer clear of predators. You also hear of some nests being found filled with cigarette butts which scientists think is anti-pest. Birds are smart.

[3catwoman3]

7. See my post #6.

Momma came back.

[3catwoman3]

6. The momma duck came back. I gave in to the temptation to...

...take one more look, and as I rounded the corner of the garage, she flew out of the mint bed. There are now 8 eggs.

Anyway, I'm done looking in, so as not to further disturb her. I'm trying to send her thought messages that she need not fear us. I hope we get to see the babies.

We've been in this house since 1994, and this is the first time we've had a duck nest. We are in a housing development of about 65 houses on 1/4 acres lots, so not at all remote, and lots of noisy school age kids and barking dogs.

My husband was wondering if the scent of the mint leaves might be a deterrent to predators.