A B757 LNDG AT DTW; MI; ENCOUNTERS A BIRD STRIKE DURING THE APCH 300 FT AGL.

Narrative

OUR FLT ENCOUNTERED A SMALL FLOCK OF DUCKS THAT TOOK OFF FROM A POND LOCATED JUST OFF THE APCH END OF RWY 21L SHORTLY BEFORE WE CROSSED OVER IT. MOST DUCKS VEERED CLR OF OUR APCH PATH; BUT A FEW SUDDENLY DIRECTED THEIR FLT TO COINCIDE WITH OURS AND COLLISION BECAME UNAVOIDABLE. THE REMAINDER OF APCH AND LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL. ALL ENG PARAMETERS REMAINED NORMAL. AFTER LNDG MAINT WAS ADVISED VIA RADIO OF BIRD STRIKE AND LOGBOOK ENTRY MADE. COCKPIT CREW WAS UNAWARE OF EXTENT OF DAMAGE UNTIL PARKED AT GATE. A POSTFLT EXAMINATION REVEALED DAMAGE TO SOME HIGH STAGE FAN BLADES; PRESUMABLY FROM BIRD INGESTION; IN THE R ENG. NEITHER CREW MEMBER CAN RECALL IF DTW ATIS ADVISED OF BIRDS IN THE AREA; HOWEVER; ITS SUCH A COMMON INCLUSION IN ATIS REMARKS THAT; OPERATIONALLY; IT WOULD HAVE MADE NO DIFFERENCE TO OUR APCH PLANS. THE FACT THAT IT WAS A SMALL FLOCK AND ALL APPEARED TO BE AVOIDING OUR FLT PATH UNTIL THE LAST SECONDS PRECLUDED US FROM TAKING ANY EVASIVE ACTION. THE PRESENCE OF A POND AT THE APCH END OF A RWY WOULD SEEM TO ENCOURAGE THESE KIND OF INCURSIONS. I AM SURPRISED THEY ARE ALLOWED TO EXIST THAT CLOSE TO SUCH A HEAVILY USED RWY.