Ok, last year we were told we were not allowed to feed the ducks at the Public Gardens ($200 penalty I think), the reason being we were creating fat unhealthy ducks that pooped a lot in the pond (where’s the fine for people feeding fat kids MacDonalds burgers?). A LOT of people enjoyed getting out for a walk and feeding the ducks their slightly stale bread they saved during the week… environmentally friendly way I think to get rid of a few slices of bread.
So now we have a beautiful garden, with a beautiful pond, with NO ducks (only was able to count 6 in the entire Gardens yesterday).
Did the ducks leave because we no longer feed them, or were they quietly disposed of by the HRM’s pest control when the pooping got out of control last year?(there are a lot less pigeons in the city too, which is not necessarily a bad thing… just saying). Now, without the ducks in the pond, who is going to feed the fish?
So, we have one of the most beautiful public gardens in all of Canada where we can walk along the paths and admire (from a distance) the beautiful flowers, but we can no longer enjoy the ducks or birds… I think it’s kind of sad.
Just wondering if anyone else is missing the ducks?
— P&L
This article appears in Sep 3-9, 2009.
The problem with feeding the ducks, which I enjoyed as well, is three-fold.
1) It creates a large population that becomes dependent on these hand-outs to survive. (insert joke pertaining to welfare/corporate bums here)
2) The food is unhealthy.
3) The large number of ducks fowl(!) the water and cause fish and plant die offs.
I do miss the ducks, especially the one in the sailor suit with no pants, but I do think it is for the best.
Yeah, the ducks are in real ponds now, in nature. They are fine. If you want to see them, head out to any of the nearby lakes.
“Now, without the ducks in the pond, who is going to feed the fish?”
Do ducks feed fish? How sweet of them 🙂
I was just about to ask the same thing, nevermind lol. Didn’t realize that’s how things worked in nature 😉
I think that someone thinks that those fish eat duck-poopie.
And you thought the fish in the harbour were gross.
Also, ducks don’t get any nutrition from bread. Ducks naturally eat insects and vegetation and fish, not carbs. So all that bread is just turning directly into waste.
I saw quite a few yesterday during my stroll through the Gardens. More than I’ve seen all summer. I noticed the decline in July and August but they seem to be coming back now.
You want ducks? come over to Sullivan’s pond in D-town. Too many ducks and duck crap everywhere… I stepped in some today. ew.
I always thought one of the main reasons you aren’t supposed to feed the ducks is because they won’t fly south for the winter, and then in turn alot of them probably die. Which may be why you dont see as many as you did in the summer , because they flew south for the winter.
There’s still ducks, but they’re the domestic ones that are usually there. What’s missing is the wild birds that they were trying to get to move along. It can be one hell of a lot of fowl. I was feeding jays and ended up with 80 ducks in my yard for three winters until I weaned them off again. It’s great to see them, but being a migratory station probably isn’t what the city wants to do 😉
I only visit HRM ever so often. I remember living in Halifax and walking through the park almost everyday and feeding the birds and ducks. I am saddened to hear that our duck friends have left us. I also wish to know the reason behind it??? KLE
The fat kids poop in the pond too?
you can visit a few ducks and geese from Sullivan’s Pond and the Public Gardens that have been relocated to Hope for Wildlife in Seaforth. When the park birds are in distress or being picked on by other birds, volunteers are called to collect the injured/bullied and take them out to the rehab centre.
http://www.hopeforwildlife.net