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This is the largest flock they've seen at the DeSoto refuge in 25 years. Most years the flocks are much smaller. So where do all the geese there now go in the other years? It makes you wonder how much the overall populations of waterfowl fluctuate on a year-to-year basis.
There's so much we don't know about even the most common wildlife. I figure that's good; it keeps us humble.
Visit our lakes at the right time of night during specific times of the year and holy cow is it noisy! The Canadians come here by the thousands...Canadian Geese that is....well Canadians come here, too, since we're so close.
I watched several hundred snow geese fly overhead late yesterday afternoon. Late this afternoon, we saw at a thousand Canadian Geese having some good eats at a field...they haven't turned it over yet. We normally see snow geese in that field in late January. We are in a migration area. There's a national wildlife refuge nearby and it's amazing the birds you can see there! Living in a migration path is nothing short of amazing.
Getting back to ducks and where they go overnight; I have to wonder how much memory plays a roll? With our pet Pekins they always came to my wife calling for them. Out little pond is about 400 feet from our house and my wife could call from our back porch and they would race up to their house (which is about 100 feet from our house). My wife had surgery and has not called our ducks for months. Today was the first day that she went out to the porch and about 30 seconds after she called; the ducks came running up to their house.
We realize that they associate her call with a reward (food/snack, water and safety). I am curious how long ducks remember? When they take off from a pond that they use for food; do they always associate that pond with food and return or as the food runs out or they find better pickings; do they immediately make adjustments? We tend to think of them as having bird brains; but I am not too sure that is an accurate description.
We realize that they associate her call with a reward (food/snack, water and safety). I am curious how long ducks remember? When they take off from a pond that they use for food; do they always associate that pond with food and return or as the food runs out or they find better pickings; do they immediately make adjustments? We tend to think of them as having bird brains; but I am not too sure that is an accurate description.
They can remember their migratory route (including stopover points along the way) a year or more after flying it for the first time. Clearly their memories are a lot better than we've traditionally given them credit for!
They can remember their migratory route (including stopover points along the way) a year or more after flying it for the first time. Clearly their memories are a lot better than we've traditionally given them credit for!
I agree, they are smarter than the average bea... er fowl. Eagles for instance are on the endangered list. Not so the average duck. Plus, how cute are they? Quack, quack......
I agree, they are smarter than the average bea... er fowl. Eagles for instance are on the endangered list. Not so the average duck. Plus, how cute are they? Quack, quack......
I did some research while preparing a speech about eagles and was fascinated to learn about the other birds cultures chose to revere or admire. Owls have this reputation for wisdom (no, pretty dense despite those glorious eyes and being chosen as Athena's symbol), eagles a reputation for majesty, dignity, and bravery (um, not exactly....most are scavengers; timid, quarrelsome, and filthy). Other cultures chose birds such as wrens, the corvids, hummingbirds, plovers, terns.
They can remember their migratory route (including stopover points along the way) a year or more after flying it for the first time. Clearly their memories are a lot better than we've traditionally given them credit for!
We used to have several different kinds of ducks: our Pekins, Mallards, grey Swedes, Cayuga and Khaki Campbell. One of our female Khaki Campbells, even though small compared to our Pekins, was the leader of the pack. At first she was picked on by the larger ducks; but eventually they recognized true genius! She could always find the best food; she knew when and where to look and no worm escaped her attention. Maybe she had tape worms instead of brains, but whatever it was, it worked. She could also fly unlike many of the other domesticated ducks that only thought they could fly. I used to treat her like a homing pigeon and walk her to the back of our property and let her fly back home. She was one smart cookie!
One of the clerks at Tractor supply told me they had Khaki Campbells on sale last week for only $.25 - I was really tempted but could not buy any more ducks.
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