[Birdtalk] Funny Feeder Bird

[Kristin Purdy]

"Mom, you have a Mallard duck in the yard", announced my son as he stood at the kitchen window this morning. I joined John at the window to see not only the drake Mallard that caught his attention, but also the hen standing nearby in a hidden spot. My yard does not include a water feature, nor are there any small wetlands nearby to lend sense to this yard bird sighting. But the ducks' next move helped explain things.

The pair stretched and began their waddle across a secluded strip of lawn from the east side of the house to the west. I ran downstairs to the ground level and watched the two-bird parade pass across the backyard to their destination--one of the feeders. They knew exactly where they were going.

The House Finches and House Sparrows tend to spill sunflower seed from a tube feeder I keep with others in a landscaped bed. The ducks moved under the feeder like a pair experienced at finding food in my yard. I'm sure they've visited before. I'm used to seeing California Quail and Morning Doves doing the scratch and pick there, but never Mallards digging around and feeding on the spilled seed. This was one funny feeder species.

Mallards used to deplete the seed at the Wasatch Audubon feeders at Beus Park until Jack Rensel put a grille on the feeders. But those feeders are also located next to a pond where the ducks can be found year-round, not in a pond-poor landscaped yard. My previous Mallard yard birds were flyovers. I never expected to log the species as a feeder bird.

Now the pair is sitting sedately out in the middle of the backyard. Maybe it's a sign that today's rain showers are going to be heavier than forecasted.

Kris
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://secureserver.securesites.net/pipermail/birdtalk/attachments/20070505/cdeb9ef5/attachment.htm