Delta Duck Cam streams on

EGELAND, N.D. – What a show! Viewers of the Delta Duck Cam, a live-streaming web feed of a wild nesting duck on the prairie of North Dakota, were treated to the dramatic hatch of seven ducklings late Saturday night.
Pintail 004, a hen northern pintail that chose a Conservation Reserve Program field near Egeland, N.D., as a nest site, successfully incubated her eggs for 23 days, all while being watched live by web viewers from around the world. About 14 hours after the hatch was complete, the hen led her brood to a nearby pothole, where the ducklings will forage for food and grow throughout the summer.
Delta wildlife technicians had found the nesting pintail on May 13. The camera, transmitter and receiver were put in place to monitor the nest a few days later. Duck nests found by Delta technicians are named by the species of hen and order discovered, so as the fourth nest found in the field, our Delta Duck Cam star took the name “Pintail 004.”
In many ways, the hatch on a live streaming camera was a remarkable event. Many areas of prairie are teeming with nest predators such as red foxes, skunks and raccoons, so only about one in 10 nesting attempts results in a successful brood of ducklings.
“Every duck nest in that field has a chance, but she defied the odds and hatched the nest,” said Joel Brice, vice president of conservation for Delta Waterfowl.
While the viewing opportunities of Pintail 004 were excellent, the live feed would freeze at times. To address those technical issues, Delta has secured a new transmitter and receiver.
The new Delta Duck Cam star is Gadwall 016. Located about 350 yards south of Pintail 004’s nest site, the gadwall hen had eight eggs as of June 11, and appears to be late in the laying stage. Ducks lay one egg per day, and only start incubating after the entire clutch is deposited in the nest.
Delta Duck Cam, which is possible in part through a sponsorship from outdoor apparel maker Sitka Gear, will remain on the air throughout the nesting season, which could stretch to mid-July. Technicians will move the camera as often as necessary to an active nest.
In addition to streaming the real-time movements of a nesting duck, the Delta Duck Cam page features highlight clips from the 2012 nesting season, as well as of Pintail 004 from this spring. Viewers can check in at www.deltawaterfowl.org/duckcam to see the progress of the hen, and also catch daily updates on Delta Waterfowl’s Facebook and Twitter pages.
For more information, contact Joel Brice at jbrice@deltawaterfowl.org; 701-222-8857 ext. 225, or visit www.deltawaterfowl.org/duckcam for updates.
Delta Waterfowl Foundation is a leading North American conservation organization, tracing its origins to the birth of the wildlife conservation movement in 1911. The Foundation supports research, provides leadership and offers science-based solutions to efficiently conserve waterfowl and secure the future of waterfowl hunting. Delta Waterfowl is based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and Bismarck, N.D.

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