Continuing the archive: slow essays and observations from marshes, mangroves, and pondsides around the world.
№ 204 Washington State hosts roughly 30 duck species across the Puget Sound, eastern shrub-steppe, and Cascade lakes. Twelve cover most of what you'll see: Mallard, Wood Duck, Northern Pintail, Wigeon, Bufflehead, Harlequin, Common Goldeneye, Greater Scaup, Hooded Merganser, and three teals.
New Hampshire has five blue-feathered species you'll genuinely encounter: Eastern Bluebird, Blue Jay, Indigo Bunting, Tree Swallow, and Belted Kingfisher. The first four are common, the kingfisher is around any clean stream. Here's where and when to find each.
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№ 202 Swans are 95%+ herbivorous. They eat submerged and emergent aquatic plants, grass, grain, and small invertebrates that come up with the plants. A swan that catches a small fish will eat it but they don't hunt - it's opportunistic, not a diet.
Barn Owls don't build nests - they lay eggs on a layer of regurgitated pellets inside a dark cavity. Here are the box dimensions that actually work, the mounting heights they prefer, and the timing that gets a pair to claim it.
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№ 200 North America has 34 diurnal raptors and 19 owls. They split into five working groups - hawks, falcons, eagles, kites, and owls. Here's the per-group breakdown, how to tell them apart in flight, and the eight species you'll see most often.
Virginia hosts roughly 20 raptor species across the Blue Ridge, Piedmont and Tidewater. Most birders see ten of them: Red-tailed Hawk, Cooper's, Sharp-shinned, Red-shouldered, Bald Eagle, Osprey, American Kestrel, Black and Turkey Vulture, and the year-round resident Barred Owl. Here's where and when to find each.
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№ 198 Cauliflower is safe for ducks - florets, stems, and the outer leaves are all edible. Steamed briefly is easier to digest than raw. As with all brassicas, feed in moderation to avoid loose droppings. The outer leaves alone are a useful free treat from kitchen prep.
Cabbage is safe and excellent for ducks - raw or cooked, chopped or whole (hung on a string as a tetherball game). Green, red, savoy, all fine. The single best winter enrichment for a confined flock.
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№ 196 Avocado contains persin, a fungicidal toxin that damages avian heart muscle. All parts (flesh, skin, pit, leaves) carry it. Documented bird deaths come from amounts as small as a teaspoon. There is no safe quantity for any duck.
Banana flesh is safe and palatable for ducks. The peel is technically safe but stringy and fibrous - most ducks won't eat it. Mash or chop into small pieces, offer as a treat 1-2 times a week, and skip if your ducks ignore it.
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№ 194 Ducks can eat almonds in small amounts but the rules are stricter than most fruit and veg. They must be raw, unsalted, chopped fine, and a treat not a staple. Bitter almonds are toxic. Here's the safe-feeding breakdown.
Ducks can eat asparagus but the tough fibrous stems are hard for them to swallow. Cooked, chopped, with the woody ends removed - that's the version they'll actually eat. Raw is fine too but most ducks ignore it.
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