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From: Steve Weinstein (no email)
Date: Sun Jun 03 2007 - 19:44:02 EDT
Mystery Solved, Problem dealt with!
We can go sailing again!!!
After discovering the next with eggs on the boat last Saturday when we went out anticipating a great 3-day sail - not to be due to the nest - I called the Roosevelt Wildlife Sanctuary next door to our marina. They're affiliated with the national Audebon Society so I figured who better to get advice about what to do, if anything, about the nesting bird.
Essentially they told me that I shouldn't worry about it and if I wanted to use the boat for the next month or so (duh!) then just move the nest with the eggs to someplace on shore, like on top of a bush or something. One of two things would happen, either the bird would find the nest and continue to incubate them until they hatched, or she wouldn't. If she did, all well and good. If she didn't, I shouldn't lose any sleep since 1) she'll go on and make another nest and lay more eggs, and 2) I could take comfort in the fact that I was feeding another animal who, no doubt, would find the nest and eggs and have a feast. Either way, the cycle of life would continue.
So this weekend I got back to the boat and, sure enough, there it was and I was able to identify it. A FREAK'N DUCK!!!!!!!
As it turned out, the launch driver told me she was going up on eBay to buy some ducklings to raise. Bottom line was that she took the eggs and brought them back to the dockhouse, put them in a sweatshirt and placed the next to the heater which she turned on to keep them 'till she was off shift. The next morning, Saturday, she went out and purchased an incubator and plans on, hopefully, letting them mature to hatching and then plans on raising the ducks as pets.
So all is well, except for possibly one pissed off or confused duck. The eggs are safe in a new home and I can sail! By the way, sailing on the Long Island Sound Saturday and today was awesome! As the day wore on, the winds climbed to 15-20 and was great sailing.
Steve Weinstein
S/V HYDRO-THERAPY
1981 Cherubini Hunter 33
Sailing out of Oyster Bay, NY
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