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Birding/female duck and nests

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Expert: - 4/21/2008


Question
hi i live near a pond that has ducks. the last two springs i have found nests around my house. recently i was pulling weeds and found the mother still sitting on the egg. she ran away. i didn't realize there was an egg there. my question is ... will she come back to the nest or is she going to abandon her egg? i feel bad its the second one i scared off her egg in as many years.thank you.

Answer
Mallards usually lay a dozen or more eggs before they start incubating them, and is more likely to abandon a nest with only one egg than a whole clutch. But unless you scare her off several times, she will probably come back. She is not going to abandon her eggs that easily.

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Roger Lederer

Expertise

Any and all about WILD birds - the science of ornithology. Information about birdwatching, ecology, conservation, migration, behavior, banding, rehabilitation, feeding, songs, binoculars, identification, and careers in ornithology. No questions about pet or caged birds, please.

Experience

Have a PhD and over forty years as a professional ornithologist - research, teaching, author, speaker, webmaster of Ornithology.com . Have written thirty scientific papers, three bird field guides, a textbook in ecology and two recent books entitled "Amazing Birds" and "Birds of New England". Have traveled to over 90 countries watching birds.

Education/Credentials
PhD in Zoology/Ornithology; Emeritus Professor of Biological Sciences; former Dean of the College of Natural Sciences at California State University, Chico

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