By Elizabeth Prata
A month or so ago, a flock of ducks took up residence in my area. It looks like they are mallards, and either a duclair or a duclair-mallard cross. I live down a lane that has a 3-apartment building, and 4 mobile homes to my right. To my immediate right across the lane there's a lawn leading to a pond. There isn't a lot of traffic on the lane once you get to my parking lot because there is a dead end shortly after with only a few mobile homes. In front of me is a large dirt parking lot that is behind a 'mall' building hosting several stores. On my left is a busy restaurant. So half of the area is busy and the other half is residential.
It's not a great place for a flock to settle.
The ducks seem to think that the hay laid down atop the mulch in front of our foundation at my building is a perfect place to lay eggs. In one case they laid eggs very close to the neighbor's front door. The ducks walk all around and even pause for long periods in the road. They like the commercial dirt parking lot where a large puddle usually appears after a rain. They like the shrubs and forage there, but are close to the road. I worry.
I enjoy the dynamism of an area that has animals. The scenery always changes with animals roaming around. If I can't have the changing scenery of a lake or an ocean then I enjoy a pasture with animals changing up the scenery. I loved the herd of sheep grazing in the adjacent pasture one neighbor had at my old apartment. Also, cows are grazing on pastures everywhere here. Some pastures near where I live and travel have donkeys, horses, or goats.
I'm not a fan of the wildlife SO close to my door though. These ducks graze near my car and as mentioned, hang out near out in the road. One morning I saw a duck sitting at the edge of the road and when I passed he limped away from my car with his wing half stuck out. I felt bad.
Sadly, this morning I woke up and went outside and saw four eggs strewn across the lawn, broken and empty. They each had holes in them, not cracked open like anything hatched. I don't see any ducklings, so I surmised that a raccoon or skunk found the nest of eggs and had dinner.
I like the more sanitized version of animals around me without the life and death aspects, lol. I wonder if these ducks are going to settle here again next year.
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