Random Daily Pics

[Wanderer]

11 hours ago, smurfy said:

22 right........ been a long time since i played

I counted 21.  

[Mike89]

same here

[chaffmj]

I count six!

 

 

 

 

 

[bobbymalone]

Lilacs are blooming in the Ozarks 

[chaffmj]

 

Get out of here these 2 are mine!

 

[SledNeck]

2 hours ago, bobbymalone said:

Lilacs are blooming in the Ozarks 

 

You turkey hunting??

[bobbymalone]

1 hour ago, SledNeck said:

 

You turkey hunting??

Picked up my Easter bunny basket from my folks.

 

Turkey season opens April 15 in mizzura, I believe.  I'm hunting there 18-22.  Maybe longer if I don't tag out.

Edited April 2 by bobbymalone

[chaffmj]

Kawishiwi Falls

 

 

 

[Duffman]

Hope to be camping on the Kawish flowage in two weeks.

Edited April 5 by Duffman

[chaffmj]

 

 

[Finns]

5 hours ago, chaffmj said:

 

 

Where?

[chaffmj]

 

On 4/6/2024 at 9:02 PM, Finns said:

Where?

 

That is Minnehaha Falls in Minneapolis. 

[bobbymalone]

Early this year.  

 

I saw Suzie Wood Duck fly out of the box this morning, so I thought I would check on the egg status and there was another hen still in there. 

 

Couple years ago I had a lesbian couple set up a dual nesting shop in there with 30+ eggs as well.  

[Duffman]

Life finds a way.

No idea on how many eggs.

 

 

 

 

[snagfinder]

I think when the box is full of eggs it isnt more then 1 wood duck its usually stupid mergansers invading the wood ducks nest. Can tell the eggs are a little smaller.

[bobbymalone]

3 hours ago, snagfinder said:

I think when the box is full of eggs it isnt more then 1 wood duck its usually stupid mergansers invading the wood ducks nest. Can tell the eggs are a little smaller.

Agree, I've seen the gansers fly in, drop an egg and leave. 

 

Wood ducks will also sometimes drop an egg and leave it for someone else to sit on.

 

But I've definitely had two wood ducks incubating eggs before, even though duck experts say that doesn't happen.  They were piled up like that for weeks.  Everybody hatched on the same day and they split up into two broods on the pond.

 

 

Edited April 12 by bobbymalone

[Wanderer]

2 hours ago, bobbymalone said:

Everybody hatched on the same day and they split up into two broods on the pond.

 

 

That’s amazing.  The imprinting, or natural genetic bonding, or whatever makes that happen is awesome.  

[bobbymalone]

46 minutes ago, Wanderer said:

That’s amazing.  The imprinting, or natural genetic bonding, or whatever makes that happen is awesome.  

I wish I would have caught them taking the leap and deciding which mom to follow.  I saw them that morning and it looked like about 2/3 went with one and 1/3 the other.  Definitely some gansers in the mix too.

 

  I've caught the leap once out of 5 years.  I track it pretty close and can predict within about 5 days window of when I need to watch in the morning for mama duck to fly down and wait.  I had it nailed last year but real life prevented me from seeing it happen.

 

It's interesting to me that the duck lays an egg or two a day and they pile up over the course of a week/week and a half.  But they all hatch on the same day.  Crazy.  It must have something to do with development kicking off when mama duck starts sitting on them full time.  It's cool that those first layed eggs just sit there in a state of suspended animation waiting for mom to start full time sitting on them.

Edited April 12 by bobbymalone

[bobbymalone]

I have a bunch of people telling me to install a camera in the box and set up a webcast.  I know my parents would love it.  Especially my dad, who built the house.  

 

If I ever get around to it, I'll post a link.

[Wanderer]

39 minutes ago, bobbymalone said:

  It must have something to do with development kicking off when mama duck starts sitting on them full time.  It's cool that those first layed eggs just sit there in a state of suspended animation waiting for mom to start full time sitting on them.

I’ve never studied it but I’m pretty sure she has to be full time incubating before they all start.

[chaffmj]

No mosquitos yet, plenty of flies the last couple of days and here is my first spider outside of the house!

 

 

[bobbymalone]

1 hour ago, Wanderer said:

I’ve never studied it but I’m pretty sure she has to be full time incubating before they all start.

 

Nature is pretty rad. 

 

I think it's cool the eggs can just sit there for some time.  Especially because it can get quite cold.

 

There are sometimes a dud or two and I first thought it might be because they froze before mom incubated them but they always kick off.  When I have done post mortem examinations of the duds they always have almost completely developed ducklings inside.  I've never found one that was just some yolk.

[Wanderer]

3 hours ago, bobbymalone said:

 

Nature is pretty rad. 

 

I think it's cool the eggs can just sit there for some time.  Especially because it can get quite cold.

 

There are sometimes a dud or two and I first thought it might be because they froze before mom incubated them but they always kick off.  When I have done post mortem examinations of the duds they always have almost completely developed ducklings inside.  I've never found one that was just some yolk.

We get eggs from locals who have chickens.  The difference in shelf life between washed and unwashed eggs was weird the first time I heard it.  Months for unwashed; maybe a month for washed.

 

Farm fresh is a fair amount different than from the grocery store.  Bigger yolks and thinner shells are two of the more noticeable differences.  I had my first red yolk eggs a few weeks ago.  Kinda freaked me out but it’s no big deal really.

[Wanderer]

Just don’t know where else to put this ray of hope.

[chaffmj]

Sunset last night on Burntside lake.