Rancho Simi Duck Park Waterfowl

02/10/2026

Please read and send email if you can support the efforts to save the Mountain Lions.

02/09/2026

Nature's baby season - good info below!

The baby season is officially here. Here's the current status:

✅ ALREADY BORN:
- Great Horned Owl chicks — 3-5 days old, downy white fuzz
- Gray Squirrel babies — First litters emerging from nests
- Bald Eagle chicks — Hatching in southern states
- Some Cottontail litters — Very early, just starting

🤰 PREGNANT (Babies Coming Soon):
- Red Fox — ~2 weeks until kits
- Striped Skunk — ~8-9 weeks
- Raccoon — ~6-7 weeks
- Coyote — ~5-6 weeks

🥚 EGGS INCUBATING:
- Bald Eagles — Many still incubating
- Great Blue Herons — Colonies active
- Early Red-tailed Hawks — Starting soon

📅 UPCOMING:
- More owl hatching (Barred, Screech) — March
- Robin nesting — Mid-March
- Bluebird nesting — Late March

WHY THIS MATTERS:
- Don't seal entry points now (babies inside)
- Keep cats indoors (vulnerable fledglings)
- Drive carefully at dawn/dusk (mothers crossing)
- Check before mowing (rabbit nests in grass)

Baby season isn't coming.
Baby season is HERE.

02/03/2026

These 3 beautiful drakes were recently dumped at the Duck Park pond. And another duck dumped a few weeks ago. (the one in the background was dumped a few years ago)

Domestic waterfowl cannot fend for themselves and cannot fly away. The volunteers will keep an eye on them. Thankfully these 3 have each other, which will give them a better chance at survival.

Reminder - dumping domestic waterfowl (or any animal) is illegal, not to mention cruel and inhumane. Know better, do better.

01/28/2026

Good info as we head into spring. Please read and heed all information. If you have questions or concerns, reach out to an official wildlife organization. (see post pinned at the top of the page for a list).

Wildlife Baby Season 2026 Series - What you need to know.

Yup! It's that time of year again. Time for me to teach you what to do and what NOT to do when you find baby wild animals this Spring.

This will be the first of a series of posts made to help you, help me. Last year was BY FAR the busiest year I've ever had as a rehabber. I learned a lot and I will be changing a lot.

Before we get into it, I need YOU to know how much I've appreciated your support over the years. I truly couldn't do it without you. Every year I think I've had enough and I'm done. The tears, the loss, the stress. Then I remember all the babies I've saved. How can I stop?

So, Here We Go -

· Not all wildlife babies you find are orphans. STOP STEALING THEM. Give their mom a chance to come back. *OPOSSUM moms will NOT return for a baby. Call a wildlife rehabber for tips to reunite mom & baby.

· The cold will kill a baby in hours. If you find a true orphaned baby, get it warm. A small box with a T-shirt or blanket (no terry cloth towels) and a rice sock. Then get it to a wildlife rehabber. (Keep the baby away from pets, kids, and your furniture. ALWAYS WASH YOUR HANDS).

· NEVER EVER OFFER FOOD OR WATER. Feeding a baby when its internal body temperature is too low, or using milk made for another animal, or using a bottle or syringe not made for that baby - are all very easy ways to kill a baby wildlife animal. Babies can survive for quite a while without food or water. Get it warm and get it to a wildlife rehabber. ( I can save a baby that hasn’t had food/water in days. I can’t save it once you’ve tried to feed it).

· Taking, Keeping, Raising, Possessing, Giving, and Transporting a wildlife animal without permission from a permitted rehabber is AGAINST THE LAW. (This year, if I see you offering to take in a wildlife animal that someone else has found, I will be reporting you.)

If you have time to volunteer, please reach out to your local rehab centers for training.

Baby season is busy and we always need help.

A Ventura County Wildlife Rehabbers Directory can be found pinned on Christina's Critters FB and IG page.

01/01/2026

Happy New Year from the Duck Pond! 💜🎊🎉🪿🦆

12/24/2025

Stay safe out there with the storms this week.

Please see CWC post if you come across any wildlife in distress or injured. They are open 24/7/365 - call the number in their post and follow the prompts. Let's all take care of each other and our wildlife friends! Stay safe!!

Winter often brings an array of more unusual migratory bird patients to CWC’s doors. Storms like the one expected this week, in particular, can send uncommon patients like this Costa’s Hummingbird from last year for a loop and you may find yourself in a position to help!

Remember that CWC is open 365 days a year, holidays included, if you find a wild animal in distress. Call (310) 458-9453 and select the correct prompts for your situation to be connected with the right department for your case.

12/11/2025

The freshwater pelicans are hanging out at the pond once again! Be sure to check them out if you're at the duck park! They're fascinating to watch.

11/21/2025

The Mother Geese Volunteer group is 10 years old!

Thank you to all of the volunteers who have not only paid for healthy food, but also stayed loyal and committed to feeding our sweet domestic waterfowl.

Thank you to the people who have donated food and funds to help keep the costs manageable.

Thank you to the Park District for finding a way to compromise, and allow us to continue caring for them at Rancho Park (Duck Park).

Thank you to the Simi Valley (FB) community for helping to educate others on why Easter ducks are not good pets, and explaining why bread is dangerous for baby waterfowl and the consequences of dumping waterfowl or any animal.

Thank you to the people who have given homes to female ducks during the spring, saving their lives.

Thank you to Simi Valley Missing Pets for standing by us during difficult moments.

Thank you to all the people who pass by the pen while we feed, and give us a high five and those that want to know more about our mission and sharing their gratitude.

Many of the volunteers seriously get emotional when we think about everything we have all done to ensure these sweet domestic waterfowl have the best life at the park.

The truth is… they do more for us, than we do for them. Seeing them happy & healthy brings us joy.

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR MOTHER GEESE TEAM!!!

10/13/2025

Hi waterfowl friends! Moon here is looking for a new home - if you, or you know of someone who might be a potential candidate, please contact Pacific Waterfowl Rescue. They are great advocates on behalf of our feathered friends and a friend to the Mother Geese volunteers. Thank you!!

Moon is a French Toulouse Goose. He is 4.5 years old and his birthday is April 2. Located in Camarillo, CA. Moon loves to play peek a boo, but hates cell phones! You cannot talk on a cell phone around him. It causes him to become very aggressive. Moon recently lost his mate and is looking for a new home. He needs to be completely protected from predators & have a safe & protected overnight sleeping area.
He needs someone that knows & loves geese. He’s only been with one other goose & not in a flock environment. Message us if interested in adopting Moon. #

10/11/2025

Here’s one of the reasons why bread, etc. is detrimental to waterfowl. Angel wing (aka airplane wing). A few of the domestic geese at the pond have angel wing. Many assume it’s a broken wing, but it’s not, just consequences of poor diet early on.

🚫

10/02/2025

Decorate safely! 🎃🕸️
The 🕊️🐝🦋thank you!!! 💜🙏🏼

🎃 Skip the fake webs—protect wildlife! 🕊️
Those spiderweb decorations trap birds, bees, and butterflies, leading to countless deaths each fall.

✨ Opt for safer spooky decor:
• Pumpkins + gourds
• Dried corn stalks
• Paper lanterns
• Natural wreaths with autumn leaves
Keep the magic alive without harming yard creatures. 🌿

09/05/2025

• Ditch the poisons. Anticoagulant rodenticides don’t just kill rodents—they poison entire food webs.

You can help :
✅ Download the National Park Service's FREE Home Checklist @ https://bit.ly/nps-check-list
✅ Make your property poison-free
✅ Share it digitally or make printouts of your own for neighbors, libraries, animal shelters, nature centers, and community spaces

: In California, 95% of cougars tested show exposure, along with bobcats, coyotes, owls, and more.