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The Countryside |
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| Remember! For this set of Wonders click on a picture and you will see a larger version of it - sometimes with more of the background too! Click on the right hand side of the large image to move on to the next image and click on the left hand side to see the previous image. Click on the cross in the top right hand corner to close a large image. | ||
Ducks |
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| Mallards on and around Petersfield Heath Pond | ||
| There were two families of Mallards on the pond in 2020 - one had four chicks, the other 11 but sadly both families lost one duckling each.
The remaining ducklings have grown and the two families seem to be thriving. Though they will pair up in the autumn, the drake only remains with his partner until she starts incubating, and has nothing to do with rearing the ducklings A typical clutch is from nine to 13 eggs, but as many as 18, laid by the same duck, have been recorded.
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Incubation takes 27-28 days, and all the eggs hatch within the same 24-hour period.
Once all the eggs have hatched the duck leads the brood away to water. They never return to the nest. A duck doesn’t feed her brood, as they are capable of finding their own food as soon as they leave the nest. Ducklings are almost exclusively insect eaters, only turning to a mainly vegetarian diet as they get older. Don't forget - don't feed any ducks with bread, it is bad for them! |
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| The Countryside page 2 | ||
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