The fall migration is in full swing, with ducks and geese landing anywhere they see fit, including your back yard. Ducks and geese are federally protected so before you disturb them or their nesting place, make sure you are acting within the federal guidelines.
If you have a pool, you may need to take proactive measures to keep these visitors out of your backyard. Try floating large items in the pool such as snakes, beach balls, noodles and rafts. Apparently, the ducks think it is too crowded and will go to your neighbor’s pool instead. Bird netting and owl decoys can also be used as a deterrent for ducks and geese.
It is important to keep duck and geese visits short. During their fall migration, they are also shopping for a nesting area before mating season begins. Once a duck chooses a nesting spot, they tend to come back year over year. This could be good news or bad new, depending on your perspective.
Another course of action during the duck migration is to just enjoy them and watch Mother Nature at her finest. The good news is, this is just a short rest on their southern migration trip.
Duck Reports: http://www.ducks.org/hunting/migration
Duck Laws: http://www.fws.gov/migratorybirds/RegulationsandPolicies.html
Duck Recipes: http://www.backwoodsbound.com/zduck.html
