Murphy's law & baby birds

15 years ago

I thought I knew all the rules. Rule #1 "If you care, leave it there." If you find a chick or duckling, Mama is probably nearby.

I got a call from a gentleman reporting the finding of six ducklings. No water anywhere. No ground cover. No mama duck. "Look in the trees." No trees. The ducklings were trapped in a basement window well and were trying to get out. The building was condemned. The bulldozers were coming. The ducklings are wood ducks, protected by the Federal Migratory Bird Act. Nobody is supposed to keep them.

Rule #2 "call a wildlife rehabilitator." A search for same turned up no results except for a bat specialist 400 miles away.

Rule #3 "Contact Game Fish & Parks." Our state does not license wildlife rehabbers, but recognizes federal ones. To become a federal one, you have to be recommended by somebody who already is one. Email from GF&P reports they don't know of anybody in my half of the state who does this. Suggested I release them into a cattail slough. I own a cattail slough, but temperatures are unseasonably cool, and they will not survive without a mama.

Rule #4 "Contact local Audubon Society." A check of their website reveals the same gentleman who responded from GF&P is also president of the Audubon Society.

The good news is, I have had these little guys for 2 weeks now (I know it's illegal, but I haven't inhaled) and they are thriving on a diet of Junebugs, tadpoles, dandelion seeds, grass, foxtail, and non-medicated chick starter. They clearly prefer the natural diet but I worry that I can't catch enough bugs and tadpoles to keep them satisfied, hence the chick starter.

I just thought you'd like to know what really happens when somebody tries to follow all the rules!

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Comments (5)

Min3 South S.F. Bay CA
15 years ago
Hooray for YOU when there was no other help for the babies!

Pfooey for heartless "Government Rules".

I hope the ducklings will continue to thrive and that you will soon be telling us that you successfully reared them until they were able to survive on their own. It must be a lot of work but so very worth it. Thank you! I'd help you if I were nearby. Min
organic_kitten
15 years ago
I love it! Thank you for caring. This no "ownership" of livestock thing only works if there is a responsible agency, organization etc to take custody.

We are very fortunate here to have an effective group of people who "walk the talk"; they raise the little ones, rehabilitate the injured and manage to do it without making the animals dependent on them.

You were the only chance these babies had, and they are lucky you cared.
Kay
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pondwelr
15 years ago
How ingenious of you to find out how to keep these wood ducklings alive. You may have to keep them forever now, but thats ok. Build some nests on any trees near your cattail swamp and hope they use them.
I suggest you do a search for wildlife rehabbers in other states. I know we have several in SE wis. They could advise you on how to keep these little ducks alive and well for their lifetime.
Great job CC. Pondy
booboobearbecky
15 years ago
catcollector,
You go girl! How wonderful it is when someone steps up to the plate to do the right thing despite being given the "run around" by all the proper wildlife authorities. Ya know ducks do that imprinting thing when they are little, so we'll just have to start calling you "ducky mom." I think what you are doing is amazing and wonderful. Funny thing is I bet you will learn as much from those little ducky babies as they will from you. I'm certain that once you give them the start they need in life, they will be fully capable of surviving on their own and that's what counts. I commend you for caring. Good luck with your ducks.

BooBooBearBecky
mulchmamma
15 years ago
Much of what law stands for involves what is referred to as "equity and good conscience". Had you followed the letter of the law, those orphaned wood ducks would have perished.

You did what your conscience told you in all equity and with good conscience. Shame on any federal/state agent who would dare say otherwise, especially in their absence.

(40 yrs with the federal gov't and still using good sense in applying rules and regs).

Linda