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Spring's on its way! (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Cuckoo-shrike
- Start date
Andrew
wibble wibble
That's right Jason, it is nothing to see four or five drakes following a female and all having a go. The poor females look really brutally beaten up too. It is quite disturbing. It looks like a better year on the canal though as the numbers are more even this winter.Bluetail said:
Michael Frankis
conehead
Wild Mallards (and other wild ducks) do get up to this sort of thing, but farmyard Mallards are far worse - they've been deliberately bred for maximum sexual activity (to maximise egg output) and minimum parental care (as when they're incubating or brooding, they can't be laying).
In the wild, this sort of activity works as a population regulator: when several drakes start hassling a duck, she tends to lose her eggs or ducklings. But it can only happen where population densities are fairly high to provide the number of excess bored drakes.
Michael
In the wild, this sort of activity works as a population regulator: when several drakes start hassling a duck, she tends to lose her eggs or ducklings. But it can only happen where population densities are fairly high to provide the number of excess bored drakes.
Michael
Michael Frankis
conehead
Hi Scampo,scampo said:
Could well be, depending on where you read it - that's not the first time I've posted something to that effect on BF!
Michael
Andrew said:
If you look at a map of first and last frosts, you'll see that inland areas are the worst. Places like Berkshire typically have frosts from mid October to mid May. Torquay has frosts from late November to March. The reason is the warming effect of the sea. That's why you can see palm trees not only in Torquay but in some places on the West Coast of Scotland too.
Mind you, if and when global warming shuts off the Gulf Stream, our climate will be more like that of Finland.
Off topic, but I was surprised to see a Kingfisher fishing from seaweed covered rocks at the edge of the sea near Torquay on Christmas day. Apparently some go to the seaside in Winter.
Andrew
wibble wibble
They are seen near the coast all year round and will often go right to the edge of the sea where the rivers go out into the sea at Budleigh Salterton and Sidmouth. You are talking about a Kingfisher right out on the sea which I have never seen and that is amazing!Leif said:
A couple of things.
I thoiught Lizards laid eggs!
I was on the Isle of Skye a fortnight ago. Someone was complaining that there crocuses or crocii were in flower.
Rape is common amongst Mallards in the wild, even bad enough to drown the females. I pick up several ...... ducks every year. Normally with head injuries and exhaustion due to gang rape.
I thoiught Lizards laid eggs!
I was on the Isle of Skye a fortnight ago. Someone was complaining that there crocuses or crocii were in flower.
Rape is common amongst Mallards in the wild, even bad enough to drown the females. I pick up several ...... ducks every year. Normally with head injuries and exhaustion due to gang rape.
Michael Frankis
conehead
Worth remembering that an awful lot of 'wild' Mallards are not wild at all, they're game releases just like Pheasants. And also a lot of 'real' wild Mallards will have had farm escapes somewhere in their ancestry too. So it is quite reasonable to expect their behaviour to be a bit un-natural at times
Having said that, yes, rape does occur in other duck species. The low population density of most other ducks in Britain makes it a lot less likely to be observed, but I've seen it with e.g. Shovelers.
Michael
Having said that, yes, rape does occur in other duck species. The low population density of most other ducks in Britain makes it a lot less likely to be observed, but I've seen it with e.g. Shovelers.
Michael
