Puerto Pollensa Travel Guide
Before You Go
Flights
Package Holidays
Latest Special Offers!
All-Inclusive Hotels
Hotels & Aparthotels
Private Villas/Apts to Rent
Villa Companies
Local Rental Agents
Cruises
Car Hire
Airport Transfers & Taxis
Travel Insurance
Late Deals!
Currency
Holiday Shopping
Background Info
Language
Books
Events & Fiestas
Climate & Weather
Art & Culture
Flora & Fauna
Links
Discussion Forum
Once You're There
Maps
Airport Directions
Tourist Information
Eating Out
Buses & Trains
Music & Entertainment
Excursions & Days Out
Shopping & Markets
Kids
Beaches
Walking, Cycling
Boat Charters
Sailing/Watersports
Market Place
Boats & Yachts
Property For Sale
Businesses For Sale
Property Services
Local Services
MouseMats & T-shirts
Computers
Internet Services
Virus Protection
PuertoPollensa.com discussion forums

Go Back   Pollensa Forum > BACKGROUND INFORMATION > Flora & Fauna

Flora & Fauna Especially for the botanists and twitchers.

Like Tree24Likes
  • 9 Post By supamac
  • 1 Post By steve&marilyn
  • 3 Post By copper
  • 3 Post By debz1
  • 1 Post By kcdc230
  • 1 Post By kcdc230
  • 4 Post By mallorcaboy
  • 1 Post By copper
  • 1 Post By Rosie34

Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 25-10-2016, 14:30
supamac's Avatar
*****
 
Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 154
Default Do not feed the ducks!

Good news that the local authority have put up two large noticeboards (in several languages) on the railings at La Gola to ask well meaning visitors not to feed the ducks; these are permanent cabinets/glass casings in which there are clear prohibition signs and colourful poster explanations about why it is not helpful to feed the ducks with bread and also why fishing is not permitted. There were some paper notices earlier in the season but of course these didn't last.

So as I walked past this morning, I was a little miffed! A British family were feeding the ducks with bread while standing right beside the notices!!! I did remark out loud that there were clear notices NOT to feed the ducks at which point Mr M hurried me along before I got into my stride!! Not known as a raving environmentalist, I was nonetheless irritated that despite being asked really nicely through helpful notices, they appeared to believe they knew better than the environmentalists who have noticed the ill effects of what we had hitherto thought was an innocent family pastime.

The notices are really well written, take the trouble to explain and even acknowledge that it is hard to change our habits of the past. The essence is that now we are better informed, would we please resist!!

You can find much about this online. The RSPB and other agencies say: "Uneaten bread causes algal blooms, allows bacteria to breed and attracts rats and other vermin.
Apart from affecting water quality, the duck feeders may be damaging the health of the birds.
Large amounts of bread and other human foodstuffs can be harmful to wildfowl, leading to potentially fatal or disabling health conditions. Uneaten food can also cause changes to the chemical and bacteriological content of water, increasing the risk of avian disease.
Making large quantities of bread easily available stops ducks from eating a natural, balanced diet. It also breeds dependency on humans who aren't always there to provide.
White bread in particular has no real nutritional value, so the danger is that they will fill up on it instead of other foods that could be more beneficial to them.
There’s also a risk that ducks and other water fowl could get an illness known as angel wing, which is caused by not getting the right nutrients in their diet. The illness causes a deformity in birds’ wings that can hamper the way they fly or even stop them altogether, which could obviously be fatal."

So all in all, whatever we have thought about the very enjoyable family pastime of feeding the ducks, now that we DO know better, I hope visitors will take note and resist harming the ducks and wetland areas in and around the port.
its cd, debz1, sws97sdg and 6 others like this.
__________________
loving my life
Reply With Quote
Sponsored Links
  #2  
Old 25-10-2016, 17:03
****
 
Join Date: Mar 2012
Posts: 70
Default

Glad they got round to putting permanent signs up now most of the tourists have gone. The original paper and sellotape ones lasted 2 days in May.
debz1 likes this.
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 25-10-2016, 17:16
*****
 
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: New Forest
Posts: 659
Default

Perhaps they should put a sign up with a fine payable if caught and then people might take notice !!
debz1, Rosie34 and Nick like this.
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 25-10-2016, 17:30
debz1's Avatar
*****
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Buckinghamshire
Posts: 3,076
Default

Excellent news! You only have to look at the size of some of the ducks to realise that bread is doing them no good. It's basically junk food and contains no nourishment at all..just makes them fat and lacking essential nutrients. Ducks need to forage for their food and eat a mix of vegetation and grains. I feed the ducks on the canal near me peas, corn and birdseed..although they did turn up their noses (beaks?) at first. Might take us all a while to get the message though but hopefully the signs will help
Golfaholics, kcdc230 and Rosie34 like this.
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 25-10-2016, 19:46
*****
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Milton Keynes
Posts: 108
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by debz1 View Post
I feed the ducks on the canal near me peas, corn and birdseed..although they did turn up their noses (beaks?) at first.
I always enjoy reading about places on this forum that I recognise and know well from our many holidays to PP over the years, but it seems even stranger to be reading about somewhere so close to home that I know even better! I know the stretch of canal you mean very well debz, and I'm sure I've come across some of those snooty ducks on various bike rides and walks along there.
debz1 likes this.
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 25-10-2016, 20:36
debz1's Avatar
*****
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Buckinghamshire
Posts: 3,076
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by kcdc230 View Post
I always enjoy reading about places on this forum that I recognise and know well from our many holidays to PP over the years, but it seems even stranger to be reading about somewhere so close to home that I know even better! I know the stretch of canal you mean very well debz, and I'm sure I've come across some of those snooty ducks on various bike rides and walks along there.
It's our thrice weekly ramble up to the 3 Locks pub So you're one of the cyclists along the tow path!!
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 25-10-2016, 21:25
*****
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Milton Keynes
Posts: 108
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by debz1 View Post
It's our thrice weekly ramble up to the 3 Locks pub So you're one of the cyclists along the tow path!!
Yes, sorry about that! Although we're more careful than the cyclists in PP!!!
debz1 likes this.
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 25-10-2016, 22:13
*****
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 686
Default

When we were over in June, a Spanish woman was berating an English couple on the beach for feeding bread to the fish!!! There might be a good reason for this but it did make me laugh when the man said, "You've ruined my wife's holiday" I guess fish feeding was high on the "holiday to do list"
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 26-10-2016, 09:18
*****
 
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: New Forest
Posts: 659
Default

If it rained all holiday all the Restaurants were closed or we rented an aprtment that was awfull that would ruin our holiday at first until we adjusted our expectations and plans but feeding fish !! No...........
Tommo likes this.
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 26-10-2016, 14:13
*****
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: West Yorkshire
Posts: 1,343
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by copper View Post
If it rained all holiday all the Restaurants were closed or we rented an aprtment that was awfull that would ruin our holiday at first until we adjusted our expectations and plans but feeding fish !! No...........
Takes all sorts
Tommo likes this.
Reply With Quote
Reply

Bookmarks

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are On


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Animal Lovers - Help Feed The Cats & Kittens lovemallorca Miscellaneous 13 16-03-2011 12:54


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 17:25.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Search Engine Friendly URLs by vBSEO 3.6.0
(c) Copyright Holiday Webs Ltd 2011