Posted by Jodie Patkus on May 9, 2007

Q: There was a duck nest in my mom's flower garden. She laid about 10-12 eggs and has been there about 3-4wks, which is about the right time for incubation. My brother checked yesterday to see if the eggs had hatched and momma and all the eggs are gone....no egg shells , nothing. Does this mean they possibly were eaten by an animal or something? They havent seen snakes or raccoons around their house in 15-20 yrs...since the 'city life' moved closer and more homes were built.

Any ideas? Could they have hatched ok and all be gone safely even with no signs of egg shells?

Thanks

State: Maryland

A: We've had several questions about "disappearing Mallard eggs" so I called an ornithologist friend of mine at Cornell's Laboratory of Ornithology for help. After discussion, we suspect that a Coyote took your eggs.

Removal of the eggs would require a fairly large animal and Coyotes are know to locate a source of food, take it away piecemeal to a secluded location and then eat it there. So, we think this is exactly what has happened. Coyotes are much more common than people realize and they're often found in suburban areas. Don't want to alarm you but you should be careful with any small pets - Coyotes won't bother children however.

In early America, there were no Coyotes in the East but once the Wolf was eliminated, Coyotes could move into eastern areas wherever they chose. Thanks for asking and sorry about your eggs. Let's hope your female will renest elsewhere.

John Wiessinger ( May 9, 2007)