Rescue Operation

In the early morning I heard a duck quacking somewhere nearby. Beyond wondering if ducks, like chickens, make a racket when they've laid an egg I didn't give it much thought. A little later it was impossible not to notice the cluster of a half dozen neighbours peering into the storm drain across the street.

Mama Mallard hatched her ten ducklings last night in a front yard north of us. She set off this morning to take them to the lake. En route seven of them fell through the grate into the drain. She had been calling to them non-stop for more than an hour.

The efforts of the engineer whose yard hosted the nest and the contractor across the street resulted in two rescued ducklings. After just one was returned to the hen she disappeared with remarkable speed leaving the second rescue behind. Three or four neighbours attempted to find her but in the end Maria ran the foundling over to the lake hoping to leave it with any clutch of ducklings and a hen.

No sign or sound from the others.

In the picture; Bill, but rescue efforts included Maria, Holly, Ron, Jim, Chris and Debbie.