At 05:03 PM 4/30/97 UT, Martin wrote:

>Last year, Canada Geese nested in the Osprey nest in the Quendall Log Yard
>just north of Renton. No sooner did the geese vacate the nest or the Ospreys
>(who had just returned) took over and raised their young in the same nest
>(raises some interesting questions about parasite loading/sharing, but I don't
>know a whole lot about that).

Waterfowl do get internal and external parasites, but they don't normally
present much of a problem for them. Because they bathe so frequently and
drink so much water, the parasites rarely get a foothold. I think they
could, however, prove detrimental to young goslings if they were to stay in
that nest for a long period of time. However, once hatched, the goslings
are normally moved to water with 24 hours. This 24 hour time frame allows
the majority (if not all) the eggs to hatch and the goslings to dry enough
and gather enough strength to survive a journey. They must move them in 24
hours as the babies will require food and water by that time.

Occasionally, they will return to the nesting area for a day or two after
this but, in the case you described it wouldn't be possible.

Peggi
Ben & Peggi Rodgers
Aptos, CA (near Santa Cruz 122 W, 37 N)
USA
woodduck at cruzio.com


"A bird does not sing because it has an answer,
It sings because it has a song"