The nest has failed

Muscovy duck Cutie2 is no longer sitting on the nice cozy nest she built under my front bushes.  She never returned last night.  She is still in the backyard eating.  All but one egg are covered in feathers but one is out in the open and I found a broken egg on the front lawn and another in the back by the bougainvillea.  She must have been attacked and the nest raided.  I don't know what would do that but a raccoon or a possum are possibilities, though I have not seen either around.  The remaining eggs in the nest are cold and she is nowhere to be found.  After an attack, a mom duck will typically abandon her nest and go elsewhere and lay more eggs.  That must be what happened.

The compromised nest sans Cutie2

Against my better judgment, this evening after I was sure she was not coming back, I took the 8 eggs that were still in the nest - there used to be 13 or 14 so I am not sure what happened to the rest - and put them in a box on a towel, covered them with the feathers that Cutie2 had used and put a desk lamp over them to keep them warm in the house.  I put the one in the picture that was outside the nest back into it.  I'm sure it won't work but I will candle them in a few days to see if any are viable.  I suspect there won't be but I will try anyway.  I'm not sure what I would do if any eventually hatched.  I'm not prepared to be a capable duck mommy and I don't think any of the existing females would adopt the little guys.  Maybe I shouldn't even try but my heart is telling me to see if I can help.  I have 35 days (the Muscovy duck incubation period) to figure out a strategy.  Stay tuned...

In other sad news, Muscovy Chirpie was here at midday with no baby.  So she lost her last one.  She wasn't doing a stellar job keeping track of him.  She is back to acting like her old self and flew up to the pool screen, one of her favorite pre-motherhood hangouts, and she chirped and chirped.

Just like the old days

RIP, little guy

Life goes on the in the backyard and Mom and the juvenile Muscovies were here in the morning just resting in the side yard after eating.  They are growing fast.

Big brother and probably 3 sisters

Muscovy male Big Boy from Pretty Girl's April clutch of eggs mated with his girlfriend Cutie Tips in the canal today after breakfast.  Later they hung out together dabbling across the canal and resting in the backyard.  They are now officially the power couple in the backyard and I think it won't be long before he takes over dominance.

The power couple in the backyard

The pair of Egyptian geese were also here this morning along with Colson the call duck and the pigeon.  As for smaller birds, the painted bunting was back at the feeder and what looked like a palm warbler was on the pool screen   The latter is the smallest of the birds in the backyard and is a wintertime visitor from up north (a real snow-bird!).

I was able to confirm that the pied-billed grebe is definitely back in the canal, having returned earlier than normal.  I usually don't see them until later in November.

Back for the season

Both a great egret and a tricolor heron were fishing along the canal edge across from the backyard today.  Ani the anhinga watched from her post on the dock.

Bird watching

And to end the day, Tux the tuxedo cat took a leisurely walk across the backyard.