Posted by k angelo on May 2, 2008

Q: My son found a large nest of eggs hidden, without warning he decided to bring in one of the eggs. I tried to call the local animal shelters and rescue in my area no luck no one knew what to do. I then tried to research as best as I could online and hours later stumbled upon this informative site.

My question is will the egg survive? If she never returns to the nest can we save the eggs?

After this incident I have gone to re-educate the children about wildlife, and printed out some good information to discuss with them from this site.

Thanks

K Angelo

Lake Oswego Oregon

Habitat: pond/lake

State: Oregon

Habitat: pond/lake

A: My first thought is that the nest your son found may not have a full clutch. In other words, the female is still adding eggs. If this is the case, she'll lay an egg a day but won't begin incubation until she determines that she has "enough". This way, all of the eggs begin incubation at the same time so all will hatch within a few hours of each other. During the period the female is laying eggs, she doesn't stay with the nest at all and this is why it may seem to have been abandoned. It should be no problem to return the egg to the nest if you still have access to it. I realize everyone knows that "if you touch an egg or bird's nest, the birds won't return" but this is just a myth. If you do return the egg, be sure to disrupt the nest and area around it as little as possible - your presence will do more to attract predators rather than keep the mother duck away.

Sure hope this helps. Hope you're not too upset with your son - you're right that this is a wonderful opportunity for him to learn about wildlife and our responsibility to wild creatures. My best to you both.

John Wiessinger ( May 2, 2008)