Mom Shows Ducklings How To Get Up Steps - Watch For The Last One

[catbyte]

[hlthe2b]

1. Seeing that, I think I might have sought something to make a ramp for the poor wee ones...

[William Seger]

8. That reminds me of what they did at the Capitol Reflecting Pool

... in D.C.:

[Fla Dem]

2. They were good not to help I guess. Ducklings need to learn in order to survive.

I don't think I could have stood it. Would have been there trying to help.

[forgotmylogin]

5. Best not to interfere though.

They imprint on the first living thing they see. Adult ducks sometimes will abandon human-handled offspring.

In high school a mother duck had laid eggs in a nest built in a sheltered corner of my dad's house on the lake and we had been observing them but maintaining distance. A classmate of mine came over and we walked around to check on the ducks. Discovering they had hatched her immediate response was "DUCKIES!" and she immediately scooped one up and held it before I could stop her.

The mama duck would not return to the nest, so I had four ducklings following me all over the yard the rest of the evening. I ended up sheltering them in the basement overnight with a pan of water they instinctively splashed around in.

I made a point specifically to NOT to touch them as much as possible so my scent wouldn't linger. The next morning I was able to lead them down to the lake and hide, and the four immediately joined into another group of ducklings trailing behind their mom, whom I'm sure was quite surprised that she suddenly had four more children! Luckily they all paddled off together on the lake like nothing was wrong.

[calimary]

7. Now, that's a relief!

I swear - I would have worried about that all day...

Glad it had a happy ending, mainly thanks to their determination and you wisely not interfering. I would have wanted to help, also, but one doesn't want to mess too much with Ma Nature.

[Laelth]

3. That's beautiful. Thank you. n/t

-Laelth

[mnhtnbb]

4. A lesson in determination. Fall down, pick yourself up, and try again.

[Butterflylady]

6. They will need a nap after that workout.

[usaf-vet]

9. Just think they can all swim. Can You?

[tanyev]

10. Oh, man, I saw a mother duck walking across the street by my workplace

with a bunch of little ones about that size trailing behind. In fact, from a distance I couldn’t figure out what I was seeing because it looked like one unit that was randomly changing shape. Once I saw what it was I pulled into my work parking lot and stood there and watched them until they got across so I could signal any other cars to slow down.

I don’t know where they came from because there are no bodies of water near my workplace. I don’t know where they were going—when they made it to the other side Mama made a sharp right and was headed toward a busy street. I parked my car in my usual spot and went back over to check on them and they were gone. I’m hoping Mama diverted into the neighborhood on her left. I think if she’d kept going toward the busy street I still would have seen them.