We might have a nest of abandoned wild duck eggs. What should we do?

Saturday morning we noticed a female mallard had laid several eggs in our front flower bed (she had been around the bed since last Tuesday). She was there all day Saturday, and yesterday, but has not been seen all day today. Should we worry? We have been out several times to check on her, giving her food (yeah, now I know we should not have), and my husband put out a small thing of water. I am worried that we have driven her away and that the eggs will die........

We might have a nest of abandoned wild duck eggs. What should we do?
As I am sure you realize now, you should NOT place food near a nest. Putting food near a nest will attract predators, such as other birds, rats, raccoons, possum, etc. - animals that will destroy the eggs or eat the chicks. When a mother bird picks her nesting site, she finds one that has an abundant food supply close enough to be convenient, but not close enough to attract predators and endanger her nest.





Hopefully, the mallard will be back. If there are only a few eggs, she is not even finished laying the eggs. She will not start incubating them until all the eggs are laid.





If you continue to disturb the nest, she WILL abandon them. To her, you are a predator, and she will not return to the nest until she is sure it is safe.





Unfortunately, if she has abandoned the nest, there is NOTHING you can do about it. In the US, all native migratory birds are protected under federal law (Migratory Bird Treaty Act). It is illegal for anyone to possess a protected bird, its nest, its eggs or even its feathers unless they have the required federal and state licenses. It is also illegal to disturb an active nest. Penalties for violating this law include fines of up to $500 and/or up to 6 months in jail for each offense.





It doesn't even matter if you did not mean to break the law: "A type of question that we commonly get involves well meaning people who want to rescue young or injured birds, secure feathers for artwork, or salvage eggs or nests for various purposes.





Anyone desiring to possess migratory birds or their parts or products should be aware that all of these are covered under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (16U.S.C. 703-712), which implements a series of international treaties designed to protect migratory birds.





Some key provisions of the Act are worth keeping in mind:





Wording of the Act makes it very clear that most actions that result in "taking" or possession of a protected species or its parts or products is a violation of the Act. Specifically, the Act states:


"Unless and except as permitted by regulations, …it shall be unlawful at any time, by any means, or in any manner…to pursue, hunt, take, capture, kill, …possess, offer for sale, sell, …purchase, import…any migratory bird, any part, nest, or eggs of any such bird…"


It is a "strict-liability" law, meaning that there is no requirement for law enforcement agencies to prove "intent" to violate the law. That is, if you are found in possession of a protected species or its parts or products, you are automatically in violation of the law.


The provisions of the Act are nearly absolute; "...except as permitted by regulations ..." is the only exception. Some examples of permitted activities that do not violate the law are legal hunting of specific game birds, legitimate research activities, display in licensed zoological gardens, and bird banding under an appropriate permit.


The Act covers the great majority (83%) of all native birds found in the U.S. Many of the species not covered by the Act are covered by the Endangered Species Act , other Federal laws, or state laws, many of which are as stringent as the Migratory Bird Treaty Act . In the lower 48 states, all species except the house sparrow, feral pigeon, common starling, and non-migratory game birds like pheasants, gray partridge, and sage grouse, are protected.


Penalties upon conviction can be severe. Even if a sympathetic jury finds that you meant no harm in trying to rear an abandoned nestling or in picking a hawk feather, legal defense costs are clearly not worth the risk.


In summary: your best approach is to take a hands off approach...look but don't collect." http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/about/faqs/bir...





So leave the nest and the eggs alone and hope for the best.
Reply:I know this seems cruel, but you should leave them alone. If you live in the US it is actually illegal for you to hatch wild duck eggs, unless you have a permit. Thank you for trying to help them that was really considerate! If you try to hatch them you could be fined. The best thing for you to do is to leave them alone, the mother might not come back, but yet again she might. Make sure you stay clear of that part of the yard, if she is watching the nest and sees you she won't come back. I'm sorry that there's not more that you could do for them.
Reply:Is best to leave wild creature's alone, more so when they have egg's or babies.





However, she may have been back and you not seen her.


The egg's may have gotten cold if she wasn't sitting on them, meaning they are dead.





What ever the situation, leave the nest alone.


Mother Nature knows best.
Reply:no you didn't, maybe something happend to her, If she dont come back you can hatch them for your self, Ducks are really cool, used to raise them,
Reply:if the eggs have been uncovered for more than a few hours, it's probably too late. they are dead by now.


It's not necessarily your fault.





:(