First off, I'm a geek, I know. So we have a mallard female who has made her nest in my front planter under a bush. So far she has laid one egg in it and I was concerned when she wasn't here when I got home. So... after some googling, I've found out that female mallards find their nesting spots and lay about 8 to 10 eggs over the period of a week. She will usually only come to her nest for about an hour a day to lay an egg until she's done laying. At this point the incubation period starts and she stays on her nest all day, except for around an hour in the morning and at night, for between 21 to 25 days. I'm so excited! And the best part is female mallards nest in the same spot typically every year. Yahoo! Now I have something to look forward to every spring.
The male mallard won't stick around, he apparently is only interested in the female while he's getting something out of it, as soon as she starts nesting and doesn't give him his attention, he goes off to play with other females who will. Sounds almost human doesn't he? Anyone else read "The Other Boleyn Girl"? This ducky could have been King Henry. Nothing quite like fidelity. Sigh...
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