Tweets,

Jon Anderson's posting of scientific findings of unexpected Mallard
production in California reminds me of when I worked at an apartment
complex in southern Cal.

We had decrative streams/ponds which were kept circulating with
high powered suction pumps. Mallards would try raising a brood
or two there every year! These artificial waterways were smack
in the middle of the apartment courtyards, with walkways along-
side and over the streams/ponds in numerous locations.

As expected, success was almost nil. Usually the ducklings would
get sucked into the pump - which was my job to clean out ("how
come the water is running so slow?", Mike would go pull out a
duckling's crumpled corpse).

Mallards are really tolerant ducks. They would breed in the
swimming pools, nest in the shrubs, and lead their ducklings
to the stream-of-death. Too bad they didn't teach their
kids not to play in the pump intake...

Mike Patrick