Recently when I've been walking home either north along the Cayuga Waterfront Trail or northwest along Cliff Street I've been seeing a flock of about a dozen Mallards on the lawn below a small stand of trees on the west side of the path and just north of the bridge. It has taken me several days to realize why they are there. Yesterday as one drake waddled across the trail I could see his distended crop. One of the trees is an oak, and it seems the ducks have been poking around in the grass for acorns to eat. I had never considered mast as a part of their diet before. Their gizzards must get a good workout.
--Dave Nutter -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
