Hi Panthra, I really feel for you, because I know how I have felt in the past when one of my ducks have been sick and I didn't know what to do. What kind of duck is Abby? It sounds like some kind of infection...has she been around any new ducks lately that might have given her some kind of disease? I use to have a pekin and she was such a sweet and loving duck. She was sick when she was little and after she grew up she got a bad infection in her leg and it spread all over her body. We even carried her to the vet before it got too bad. We had been giving her tetracycline med. and they told us to continue that, but she passed away one night with her best buddy Troy. I was heart broken, but there was nothing else we could have done. I know you said there isn't any vets that see ducks in your area, but maybe you could call one over the phone and talk with them. If you find one and even if it's a few hours away you could still carry her because she's worth it if it will save her little life. Apple also had gooey stuff coming from her nose and she had yellow gooky stuff running from her eyes; I wiped her eyes and nose out several times each day. She also got to where she was too weak to walk. She would preen herself too, but only as she was sitting down; she couldn't stand up. She use to be a healthy little duck that was very happy that just enjoyed life and being around her duck friends, but all that changed in such a very short time...I miss her so much.. Apple would still eat though..she even had eaten a few hours right before she died... I don't know what to tell you...I hope I haven't scared you with telling you all this about Apple; I'm sure Abby will be alright, maybe you should try to find someone at least who knows about ducks and see if there is any way you could possibly get her to a vet asap. I'd hate to hear something bad happened to her. You really seem like you love her a lot like I love my ducks.. Is Abby your only duck, or do you have more?? I'm sure somebody else will see this post and reply back to you soon..... GoodLuck with Abby! Genny

I hate to say this, but your problem is normal. Ducks and geese will want to spend much of their time on land, eating tender grass shoots, insects, garden plants, etc. Most places that have populations of these birds live to regret it. At least in those locations where the bird and human environment are in close proximity. People that build those large water features as an amenity and don't understand how ducks and geese will use it are creating a real problem for the property owners. As you well know. Adding another pond will likely add to the problem rather than mitigate it. Well, there are a number of spray on repellents that you should try. They will work for awhile. You should also use scare tactics such as imitation reptiles (large), in combination with the repellents. I think that motion activated sprinklers would help, too. The noise and water would startle them. In my city, there is a small lake built within the campus of one of the universities. Ducks and geese pretty much took over the location, creating a health hazard and ruining the landscaping and grass. Repellents worked for a while, as did a remote operated car used to chase them all over the place (hilarious). But the thing that has really helped is the installation of three large alligator decoys that float all year long in the lake. They are secured to the bottom with weights and chains. The population of birds on that lake has been greatly reduced! (Not eliminated, but reduced.) Type in 'goose repellent' into google and do some reading. I think that with a combination of simple things, you can keep the ducks and geese away.

I need help IDing a duck. It was slightly larger than a mallard, had a pink bill with black/brown mottling/ had a black head with a white ring around the eye, a white ring around its neck, a light grey back, its legs seemed to be set further back on its body than the mallard (which leads me to believe it may be a diving duck?) and were a brownish grey color, and its tail was fairly wide and stuck up like a ruddy duck, but it was WAY bigger than a ruddy duck and other than the tail, looked nothing like a ruddy duck. It was the only one of its kind with some local mallards (4-5 drakes in eclipse plumage, 4-5 females, and about 5 or 6 of this year's juveniles), in a slow moving small creek (maybe 20-30 ft across and maybe 3 ft deep at the deepest). Can't figure out what this duck is, maybe a hybrid, a juvenile, or a drake in eclipse plumage, or some combination??? Any help or directions to who (or where) I should go for help would be appreciated!

Yes, I do remember this home featured in House Beautiful. I must say it looked much better there, on the glossy paper and with the close-ups..I was impressed. I didn't necessarily like every detail, but I liked the general feel. As for the fiddle leaf fig-mine also got awfully tall. Now I start worrying, because new place will have lower ceilings.. I also don't know how we will get it there once the new house is ready. One of us will have to sit in a mover's truck probably, holding this tree...