I was working in the back yard late in the afternoon a few days ago when I was very surprised to see this Pacific Black Duck with her clutch of very young ducklings wandering across the back lawn.
Surprised because we have lived here for 44 years and I have never ever seen a duck within cooee of our place;
Surprised because we live on the side of a hill with many large birds that would just love a little duck for dinner and;
Surprised because we are a long way from the nearest creek or water source and the PBD likes water.
I know that you should leave the wild birds alone and that they will sort themselves out but mum was looking quite anxious and I figured she was lost and the ducklings would not survive for long so we spent the next hour chasing them around before we finally managed to catch them all.
By then, it was nearly dark so they spent the night in the lap of luxury in our downstairs bathroom.
Next morning I was up at sparrows and did a recce of the nearest creeks and found a good one to release them into. Went and collected them and then Rhoda and I took them out and let them go - ducklings first and then mother. (If you release the adult first, there is a chance it will just take off and never be seen again and you are left with a clutch of ducklings on your hands.)
They made a bee line for the water and once in there, the joy they were feeling was palpable. Lots of flapping of wings, duck dives, tail stands etc. We watched them for about half an hour before leaving them.
Went back a couple of hours later and they were no where to be seen. Paid the site several visits over the next few days but never saw them again. So we don't know where they came from and have no idea where they went.;
