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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Woman's weird behaviour at duck pond?

238 replies

QT3point14 · 29/12/2023 20:34

Aibu to find this woman weird?

Dh and I took the kids to our local park today. The park has a little pond with some ducks and swans and we walked down to the water as our kids wanted to see the birds.
At this pond, there was another family consisting of a Mum, Dad, and two young children. This family had brought some bread to feed the ducks. Their kids seemed to be loving it and were giggling away, the animals were loving it and our kids were loving watching it.

A random woman walks by with a toddler. She stops and passive aggressively tells her child using a very loud voice, so the other family can hear her that you shouldn't feed the ducks as it's not allowed. The other family ignored her and continued with what they were doing.

The random woman then took her child over to a rusty, dirty old sign and very loudly read it out to her child. The sign states not to feed the ducks as it can attract vermin. Again the family ignored her. She read the sign very loudly again! She then rants that they are feeding the ducks white bread and this is so super harmful. This behaviour went on for a good 5 minutes with the other family continuing to ignore her.

At this point I'm thinking wtf is she trying to achieve here? Either have the balls to approach the family and share your concerns or mind your own business. What on earth was she hoping to achieve by passive aggressively randting in the background? The park was pretty busy and loads of people were staring at this poor family that just wanted to enjoy some time together.

Is it just me or is this a bit bonkers?

OP posts:
Thread gallery
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Original poster
QT3point14 · 29/12/2023 21:33

Maybe I'll take up feeding the ducks?

OP posts:
girlfriend44 · 29/12/2023 21:33

I wouldn't have got involved and moved on.

You never know what's going to happen, when you confront strangers it could all blow up. Not nice in front of children either.

Does she pull everyone up when they are out, if so there will come a day when she may regret it. Not nice for the child to witness. Hardly committing a major crime where they?

Fallenangelofthenorth · 29/12/2023 21:33

StockpotSoup · 29/12/2023 21:32

A woman you don’t know said things in earshot of other people you don’t know in the hope they’d hear and respond. They didn’t. The End.

Have you considered a hobby?

You mean a hobby such as reading and posting shit on mumsnet?

CarrotCake01 · 29/12/2023 21:35

OpalOrchid · 29/12/2023 21:30

Possibly because most people have bread? And not a supply of organic artisan duck food.

Right, and how did they get the bread?

Dymaxion · 29/12/2023 21:36

@CarrotCake01 I would imagine that vermin will be attracted to anything vaguely edible, seed, cereals, salad, you name it, rats, which are plentiful and always close by, will be happy with whatever is available, they are not going to turn their noses up at something because its 'healthy' !

Needsomesupport84 · 29/12/2023 21:36

If they love to feed the ducks, they can buy duck food in pet shops. They sound like idiots.

confusedaboutclothes · 29/12/2023 21:37

I have heard that bread is back for ducks…but haven’t we all been doing it (or most of us) for a very long time? I spent most of my childhood feeding ducks bread at the same pond and didn’t notice any sick or dead ones?

HappyMavis · 29/12/2023 21:37

Cool story.

whiskylover2 · 29/12/2023 21:38

Although… https://www.wwt.org.uk/wetland-centres/feeding-bread-to-ducks/

Mum2jenny · 29/12/2023 21:40

I feed ducks any out of date bread as long as it’s not mouldy. So kill me now……

SiobhanSharpe · 29/12/2023 21:40

We used to keep a few ducks in our garden, it started when we 'inherited' one when we bought the house.
Among their favourite foods were small bits of cheese and chopped up ham or salami. And if you threw some leftover spaghetti bolognese for them it didn't even hit the ground, they were on it so fast. But they were just treats. Also slugs, moths and butterflies. If DH was digging in the garden he had to be careful not to spear them as they were so keen to get at the worms and slugs.
They mostly got fed on seed corn and layers' mash. (Poultry food). But we got seriously annoyed with next door neighbours who kept throwing huge hunks of stale bread over the fence. The ducks weren't interested and we had to
keep clearing it up.

Irridescantshimmmer · 29/12/2023 21:41

Your post reminds me of a time when I was sat eating kimchi, by a lake in a local park, when a man and a woman walked past, he shouted

"Feed the ducks"

So I casually told him " it's got chilli in it "

His Mrs burst into a tremendous fit of laughter omg it was the funniest thing since sliced bread!

Wateroverwine · 29/12/2023 21:42

Horrible woman with control issues. Feel sorry for her partner if she has one.
Some people need to learn to mind their business and leave others alone

Jf20 · 29/12/2023 21:42

I can’t get past you thinking the potential harming of the birds is none of your business, but take umbrage at this woman trying to protect them.

thats some messed up priorities.

OpalOrchid · 29/12/2023 21:43

You should only feed kimchi to the ducks who have a top knot hair do.

CarrotCake01 · 29/12/2023 21:44

Dymaxion · 29/12/2023 21:36

@CarrotCake01 I would imagine that vermin will be attracted to anything vaguely edible, seed, cereals, salad, you name it, rats, which are plentiful and always close by, will be happy with whatever is available, they are not going to turn their noses up at something because its 'healthy' !

Yeah, for sure 😂 I think there are 2 separate issues here.
The ducks eating bread debate AND the fact that this specific location advised visitors not to feed the birds ANYTHING because it would attract the vermin!

Robinkitty · 29/12/2023 21:44

I was once told off for feeding bread to the ducks and fortunately it was overheard by the ranger who informed me that it was fine and that the ducks could starve if they didn’t have bread. I now feed them bread but also takes oats and peas if I have anything other suitable that too.

AlanThePig · 29/12/2023 21:45

SiobhanSharpe · 29/12/2023 21:40

We used to keep a few ducks in our garden, it started when we 'inherited' one when we bought the house.
Among their favourite foods were small bits of cheese and chopped up ham or salami. And if you threw some leftover spaghetti bolognese for them it didn't even hit the ground, they were on it so fast. But they were just treats. Also slugs, moths and butterflies. If DH was digging in the garden he had to be careful not to spear them as they were so keen to get at the worms and slugs.
They mostly got fed on seed corn and layers' mash. (Poultry food). But we got seriously annoyed with next door neighbours who kept throwing huge hunks of stale bread over the fence. The ducks weren't interested and we had to
keep clearing it up.

Our Moorhen turns his beak up at bread.
Tried all sorts of leftovers with the ducks over the years and they just wont touch any of it. They do follow me around the garden for the worms though, tbh wherever I go outside I usually have a small trail of ducks behind me. This is a screen grab of a video when I arrived home, not even taken off my seatbelt...
😂

Woman's weird behaviour at duck pond?
Woman's weird behaviour at duck pond?
Original poster
QT3point14 · 29/12/2023 21:46

I can’t get past you thinking the potential harming of the birds is none of your business, but take umbrage at this woman trying to protect them.

thats some messed up priorities.

Have you not read the post? There has been numerous links posted and I've now quoted twice that bread is NOT harmful to ducks!

Also, if I seen someone committing a REAL crime, I'd still stand back and do absolutely nothing because guess what? It's NONE OF MY BUSINESS! It's not like they were physically hitting/hurting animals. Thr ducks seemed happy enough and not in any distress.

Feeding ducks bread is hardly the crime of the century fs.

*edited to quote pp.

OP posts:
BOOTS52PollyPrissyPants · 29/12/2023 21:47

It is bad to feed bread to ducks and old veg, cabbage is better but she handled it in a strange way but you are now posting on here so all strange.

CarrotCake01 · 29/12/2023 21:49

As far as my understanding goes:
Bread is bad but it's better than nothing 🤔

Dymaxion · 29/12/2023 21:50

I can’t get past you thinking the potential harming of the birds is none of your business, but take umbrage at this woman trying to protect them.

She wasn't trying to protect the birds, she was showing off and feeling superior, because she had done her research !

LakeTiticaca · 29/12/2023 21:52

When I am down at the big local pond all the wildlife gathers round for a treat. Swans, ducks, geese, pigeons and seagulls. Even the local squirrels are partial to scraps of bread!! Everyone gets some 😁

PlipPlopChoo · 29/12/2023 21:55

She is correct. Bread is really bad for ducks. However she is fighting a losing battle.

Dymaxion · 29/12/2023 21:55

I would be tempted to tell her to avoid the pond from February until July, mating season for ducks is brutal, female ducks are drowned by too many over zealous suitors, although I suppose she could blame it on the bread making the Daddy ducks too heavy ?