Tag Archives: Ravens eat Daisy's eggs

Daisy the Duck returns to WBSE Nest

Around 05:40 on the 15th of January, Daisy the Pacific Black Duck flew alone to the big Ironbark Nest in the Sydney Olympic Forest. It has been precisely two weeks since her previous visit. The nest is no stranger to Daisy who has laid two clutches of eggs here only to have them taken and eaten by Ravens.

There is her head behind the branch. She has just landed.

Daisy will spend a total of 9 minutes on the nest listening and looking.

She checks out all directions.

She listens again. I adore Daisy and I want her to be safe and have her ducklings in a nest where there is some possibility of success. This nest is doomed.

It is unfortunate that neither the Ravens nor the White-bellied Sea Eagles were present. That might have stopped Daisy from considering this site for her next clutch.

It is good to see you are alive and well, Daisy, but please find another spot for your precious eggs!

Under normal circumstances the WBSE would be checking on the nest frequently during this time of the year. Their attendance has been mired by the Pied Currawong and I have hoped that someone insightful might put up an artificial nest for the WBSE down by the Parramatta River Roost similar to the one built for Ron and Rita by the WRDC in Miami.

We wait.

Thank you for joining me on this quick posting about our favourite duck, Daisy!

Thank you to the Sea Eagle@Birdlife Australia Discovery Centre Sydney Olympic Park for their streaming cam where I took my screen shots.

The Daisy Chronicles Day 21 – Tragedy Strikes our Daisy’s Nest while she is away

I wrote it clear so that if you did not want to you could stop reading. I am beyond sad.

Daisy left the nest at 06:10:20. The raindrops had been hitting her head and she would toss it about. Sunrise was half an hour earlier.

Daisy was very conscientious in covering her eggs. You could not see one of them and she had kept the down nice and dry by spreading her body over it.

Then the Ravens arrived. There were three of them. I am actually glad Daisy was not on the nest. They might have attacked her. They tore off the down consuming and breaking all of those precious eggs of hers.

I am so desperately sorry to bring you this very sad news today. Keep our little Daisy in your heart and send her your lofe. This is her second attempt to hatch eggs on this nest. I hope that she finds a safer place for her next clutch this year. I can find no evidence that she is aware of what happened to her eggs. Last season she was ‘stunned’ when she returned and she went on and off the nest in her grief for awhile.

Please take care.

Thank you to the Sea Eagles@Birdlife Australia Discovery Centre Sydney Olympic Park.