Lost

This poor female mallard has taken a wrong turn and wondered into our backyard. This is enclosed by 7 ft high walls, with a section of wooden fencing. The fencing has a gap of about 6 inches underneath, which is presumably where the duck popped underneath. She spent a minute or two wondering around the lawn, quacking for her brood to follow. However, her chicks were in the street behind the fence, being rounded up by the SSPCA (Scottish animal welfare) as they were holding up traffic. Meanwhile, a bumble bee was buzzing around the flowers in the grass and spooked the duck. She flew off in the general direction of the sea, only 50 yards away. Meanwhile, the SSPCA knocked on our door and asked if we had seen a duck. Yep, we'd seen the duck, but she had flown off, never to return. To cut a long story short, the SSPCA arranged for the chicks to be rehomed.