# Pond Pics - Mar 02, 2007



## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

http://www.rims.net/2007Mar02

Terry


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## Poofybird (Feb 13, 2006)

Terry, those photos and vids are all beautiful! Are those your birds, or wild birds? (sorry I'm very new here  )


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Hi Shirin,

Those particular birds are all at a local city park. I've been going to this park every day for almost 10 years to try and make sure the birds are all OK. There is no "official" caretaker for them, so I'm about all they have. Most of the birds there are wild birds, but there are also about three dozen domestics that have been dumped there over the years. Right now the big problems will be injured females due to mating season getting into full swing. The mallards and the domestic ducks are extremely brutal to the females to the point of death at times. 

Terry


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## Poofybird (Feb 13, 2006)

TAWhatley said:


> Hi Shirin,
> 
> Those particular birds are all at a local city park. I've been going to this park every day for almost 10 years to try and make sure the birds are all OK. There is no "official" caretaker for them, so I'm about all they have. Most of the birds there are wild birds, but there are also about three dozen domestics that have been dumped there over the years. Right now the big problems will be injured females due to mating season getting into full swing. The mallards and the domestic ducks are extremely brutal to the females to the point of death at times.
> 
> Terry


Aaah yes, I've heard about those mallards!  I'm taking an ornithology course this semester, and that was one of the things we learned about them. Well they are awfully lucky to have you looking after them  I wish I had a park like this close to me


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

Hi Terry,

The birds are all so lovely.

Thank you for keeping an eye out, I can't believe mating season can be so cruel for the females. 

Thanks for sharing.


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## mr squeaks (Apr 14, 2005)

Those pictures are just lovely, Terry! Thanks for posting!   

Yes, Cindy has told me stories of mating ducks! So sad sometimes! The females can sure get the short end of the stick!


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## TerriB (Nov 16, 2003)

Scaups are one of the prettiest birds - love the herringbone markings on their backs! So many of the smaller ducks are really exotic looking.

That Mama goose (gorgeous!) certainly knows how to choose a beautiful nest location. What a handsome pair! Her mate showed a lot of restraint while trying to chase you away. 

How long is duck mating season? It must be difficult watching this every year. Too bad you can't corral the females and keep them someplace safe till the testosterone levels subside.  It's wonderful that you keep an eye on these birds. In a perfect world, every pond would have a caretaker whose sole job would be looking after resident and visiting birds.


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

*I'm soooo upset!*

At the park today I tried for a big, big Canada Goose with a broken or badly injured leg .. didn't get a good enough hold on him and almost 
went in the pond with him when he lunged for the water. Now he will be very wary of me making it even more difficult for the next try .. DANG! 

Then I noticed that the domestic goose in this series of pictures was not on her nest .. what the heck! Somebody took all the eggs. I was so upset. 

She had been on the nest for two weeks or a bit more .. whatever moron did this should have taken the eggs right away or not at all 
and just let me deal with however many little goslings resulted. Those little embryos would have been well on the way to becoming goslings .. 
so sad .. I hope the person got wing whacked and nipped real good in the process.

Grrrrr 

Terry​


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

Oh...Terry,

I can imagine how frustrated and upset you are.

That poor goose, she must be walking around heartbroken and feeling the loss of her babies before they even hatched. Still hope you have another chance to get the big Canadian goose.

What a total idiot.....people like that should be tried for murder., and a good wing slap!


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## TerriB (Nov 16, 2003)

You have a lot of courage, trying to catch a large Canada goose solo. Sure hope your next attempt is safe and successful!

What a shame that someone took the goose eggs. Would she accept dummy eggs?


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Thanks Treesa and Terri .. the wanted to be goose parents were fine. They were up at the front of the pond and acting like nothing had happened or was wrong .. I guess that's a blessing for them. Me .. I was about to have a coronary right on the spot. 

I'm sure they will nest again in a very short time. Assuming that is the case, then I have to decide what to do well ahead of time. I should have taken the eggs myself but didn't do it for a number of probably not very good reasons, but it felt right at the time. I was willing to deal with the whole goose family when the time came and get them out and to a good home.

Terri, the Canada's are not really aggressive or anything .. they are just so BIG and so STRONG. This one today was a whopper of a Canada, and when I made my grab for him, I just couldn't hold on. I was prepared to get the stuffing whomped out of me by him .. been there and done that .. and looked like the loser of a boxing match after .. but I just couldn't hold on to this one. I'll try to be smarter and STRONGER next time ..  

Terry


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## SueC (Jun 9, 2005)

*Wow!*

Terry, you're not only Big-Hearted but strong as well. I admire you. 

Hope that you can help the whopper ultimately.


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

SueC said:


> Terry, you're not only Big-Hearted but strong as well. I admire you.
> 
> Hope that you can help the whopper ultimately.


I'll get him .. unfortunately he is at the point that the leg is so bad that he's not really quick on his feet .. lays down mostly .. also unfortunately, he's really quick on the wing. I'll just have to time this one exactly right and hope I get lucky, but I WILL get him because he NEEDS to be gotten and get help for that leg.

Terry


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## mr squeaks (Apr 14, 2005)

SENDING 'JUST RIGHT' CATCHING THOUGHTS FOR THE BIG ONE!

I'm sure you will make it and Mr. Goose will feel soooo much better once his leg is helped!

Hugs...


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

mr squeaks said:


> SENDING 'JUST RIGHT' CATCHING THOUGHTS FOR THE BIG ONE!
> 
> I'm sure you will make it and Mr. Goose will feel soooo much better once his leg is helped!
> 
> Hugs...


Thanks, Shi! I WILL get him .. 

Terry


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## mr squeaks (Apr 14, 2005)

TAWhatley said:


> Thanks, Shi! *I WILL get him *..
> 
> Terry



Oh, I have absolutely NO doubt! Mr. BIG is in for one BIG surprise, but he can thank you later!


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## Reti (Jul 20, 2003)

Best of luck in catching the big goose.

Reti


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## littlestar (May 11, 2005)

Terry, They are really beautiful birds. It's really sad that some jerk took the the eggs from the parents. I'll never understand jerks like that to do something so cruel.


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## piney_creek (Jun 5, 2006)

Nice pics!

PINEY


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