u/Bottle_K1ds

So to give some background to the story, my family and I we visit a neighborhood pond i grew up in to feed the ducks regularly. There are 7 adult ducks (3 males, 4 females). one pair is separated or “outcast” from the other group (they do not get along).

Anyways two of the females from the bigger group have had babies in the last month, one brood hatched about 5 weeks ago (4 healthy and growing ducklings) the other brood was born some time last week (Tuesday or Wednesday). She had 12 ducklings at first. Every time we visited after she was missing 1 each time. We went back Wednesday this week, and she was down to 6 (there are predators at this pond. Also the males are aggressive towards them as well).

Today we went by there again to see them, and she still had 6, but she was very skittish towards us (as expected considering she’s already lost 6), so they start swimming away, and one of them gets caught in the leafs/sticks in that part of the pond. It’s barely keeping its head above water, mama duck is freaking out trying everything she can to get it unstuck. the others from the bigger group come over trying to help, and nobody can get it out. We were almost certain it wasn’t going to make it and she would lose another one. So i kicked in my fatherly instincts and jumped in to save it! I got the poor little guy out, but mama was more pissed at me for touching it than saving it. she flew at me snapping, and then swam away with them. I understand she’s just trying to be protective towards her babies, but she was definitely losing that one had i not intervened.

The picture was taken last week when we first saw that she had ducklings. It’s sad to look back at them knowing she used to have 12 :(.

I don’t think her other eggs made it :(

We got our first baby!

She laid her first egg yesterday!

Feel like a hero today.