avian antics 3

Yesterday, early afternoon, Mrs. Duck tried to gather her brood (of about a dozen wee ducklings) and encourage them to follow her south, hopefully toward secure lodgings.

["Hang onto the safety rope. Don't dawdle back there"]

 I don't think all turned out well. Two ducklings ran north in the direction of a church parking lot. Then west toward a large unfenced yard.

["Westward ho, too quick to catch"]

Three more scooted away from the troop and through a gap between fence slats into a nearby yard. What became of them, I do not know. By the time Mrs. Duck found relative safety under a nearby van, her brood had shrunk to seven (I think).

My wife found zero evidence of the family after a quick walk down the lane two minutes later. I heard no cheeping for the rest of the day but will scout around shortly... knowing nature (and cats, dogs, skunks, raccoons and larger birds) can be very cruel.

Questions comes to mind re these avian antics: E.g., Is it becoming more common for ducks to breed and raise families in residential (e.g., Old South) neighbourhoods?

Photos by GH

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