A Monday Duck Story
Driving back from depositing a check at the bank, I was making the next to the last turn on my way back to my house. A car coming the opposite way was stopped in its lane, which made me wonder why. Well, I saw why. A downy duckling was in the middle of the street. So, I stopped my car, too. The guy in the other car said, from his window, "That little duck doesn't have a mother."
So, I got out of my car, looked all around the area, and, sure enough, no other ducks were in sight. The location is quite a way from any water, too, although there's a small lake a few blocks away. I kept looking. The duckling started to go across the road.
So I walked over near the duckling, and crouched down. The duckling, all yellow, with a couple of black stripes, immediately started coming toward me. I recognized it as a mallard duckling. I guess I was a large living thing, so I must be its mother or something. It got near my shoes, so I put my hand down in front of it, palm up. Up came the duckling onto my palm, where it just squatted down.
So, I curled my fingers gently to enclose the critter, stood up and looked all around, in all directions. Still no sign of any other ducks. The guy in the other car waved and drove off. So, now what?
That little lake I mentioned has loads of ducks on it right now, most with little trails of baby ducks following mom around, on land and on the water. So, I drove over there and parked my car. In the meantime, the duckling is nibbling on one of my fingers in that fast way ducks do. I got out of the car, still with the duckling cupped in my hand, happily along for the ride, and started walking on the path that circles the lake. Here and there, there are little paths down to the water. After going a couple of hundred yards, I spotted a mother mallard with a half dozen babies swimming near the edge of the lake.
So, I walked down to the lake's edge and crouched down. Mama duck isn't too bothered. The lake is in a park, and people come there to feed the ducks a lot, so they're not nervous around humans. I set the duckling in the water. It swam around in a little circle. Then, it spotted the female mallard and its ducklings and started peeping like crazy. Mama duck hears it, and starts swimming over. Duckling takes off swimming toward the mama duck. The half dozen ducklings with mama duck follow. Next thing I know, my rescued duckling joins the half dozen, and mama duck leads them off swimming along the shoreline. The more, the merrier, I guess.
What did I learn? I learned that female mallard ducks can't count, and that they don't mind a new member of the family. A nice little adventure for a Monday afternoon, I think.
= new reply since forum marked as read
with good senses of humor.
Sweet little duckling! 
You rescued a duckling!
Thank you!
I love baby animals...so glad h/she has a mommy now. Thanks to you!!! 
Damn decent of you, Mineral Man. 
Good job!!
