Expert: Roger Lederer - 5/24/2009

Question
Hello...we have a female mallard who seems to have made a nest in the azalea bushes on our walkway. What is most surprising is that she choose that spot, even though we have a dog who looks out the screen door not five feet away and barks when she sees the duck. Knowing that the duck is there is driving my poor puppy crazy...after all, it is HER territory! I've been doing some research online and it looks like the mallard will be there for about a month sitting on the eggs. Any thoughts on what I should do or not do while they are there? And as much as I am looking forward to seeing the babies, I would like to prevent her choosing this area again when she nests next time. Too much stress on my puppy! Oh, we do have several ponds in the development. Thanks very much for your help!

Answer
This is not a wild bird question and it is hard to answer because it is an artificial situation. All you really need to do is keep the dog away. To prevent her from nesting there next time, you need to fence or cover the bushes - at least for a short time. Meanwhile, enjoy the process and thanks for your concern.