Tag Archive: Duck


Ducks in a row

On Monday the Victoria day holiday a mother Mallard duck was on Nicola Avenue  ( highway 8) followed by nine new ducklings.  We followed them as they ducked into the Murray GM  lot and then out on Voght but on the sidewalk. After a block and a half they found a large bush in the A and W restaurant lot. The ducklings liked it and they lingered there, this after having a brief  and close inspection by a large Raven. We went for some bread and when we got back a women from Ashcroft said that they had gone north on Merritt avenue. Since that was the direction of the Nicola river and it  was within a block we got the sence that they would make it to a more comfortable and suitable environment.

A source says that they were probably chased from their nest on the river  about 4 blocks west on Nicola avenue by a dog.

editors note: There is an off leash park behind the recycle facility by Voght park and since that area is connected by walking trails along the Coldwater and Nicola River it is best it be used rather than having dogs off leash on the walking trails at this time when duckling and goslings are vulnerable.

Today in history: May 21,2005

The tallest roller coaster ride in the world opens in Jackson Township New Jersey. Its called KINGA KA.

Bird count

Merritt, British Columbia

Image via Wikipedia

No not a character from Sesame Street but on the weekend the local Naturalists were out counting birds. A couple of reports say that there was a successful count of  many hundreds of mallard ducks by counters in the area of the Chutter ranch east of Merritt a couple of miles. My self, I counted 97 mallards in town from the Nicola Street bridge to the old CPR train bridge a distance of about 1/2 mile . At the bridge were a pair of golden eye ducks  at a healthy distance from the last mallard.

Jerry Sanford a member of the naturalist society and a retired geologist said he speculates that a motel owner may be feeding them at the Nicola bridge. The January 2 date should not be confused as it is the “Christmas Bird Count”

There is a coördinated bird count about the province on that day.

Today in history, January 5th 1972

The United States begins the space shuttle program.