Ducks FlownSunday, September 19th, 2010
Being moored on the linear by the canal is the ideal spot for wildlife watching.
Earlier this year the ducks were swimming up and down with their new babies, some had as many as 8 little ones. There was one mother duck who obviously wasn’t very maternal as she abandoned 4 babies only a couple of days old to fend for themselves. We decided to rescue them, as we didnt think they would survive on their own. To do this a neighbour’s dingy was commandeered and it took a good hour and a couple of fishing nets, to round them up. They were put in a cardboard box, complete with towel and ‘hot water bottle’ in the shape of a used cola bottle and spent the night in my engine room. The kitchen sink started to resemble Tracy Island complete with a log to perch on and a bowl of duck pellets, with enough water for them to have a paddle. When they looked tired they were dried off and put back in the box to have a siesta. Sadly a couple of the babies didn’t survive, but the other two went from strength to strength. When they started to get bigger we built a run on the towpath from bits of discarded board off the bonfire and yet again they were supplied with logs to stand on and water and food bowls.
When they were big enough we had a ‘releasing ceremony’ where a group of us let them lose. This was taped on video for posterity and they had a lot of encouragement to get into the water. We built a ramp from the side of the towpath into the canal, with a platform at the bottom to put food on, so they could get out of the water if they wanted to. This ramp is now being used by all the ducks in the neighbourhood as they know it is an easy source of a meal.
Our ducks still come to see us every day and they follow us along the towpath, one is even tame enough to eat out of our hands.
We are really pleased we managed to rescue them and may have to do the same to some more next year 
Pam
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