What Happened To The Ducklings?

[10ClarionSt]

Just as we got off the golf course yesterday, we saw a Mallard walking across the first tee with three ducklings in tow. They were really tiny and only looked a few days old. Ma Mallard led them to what she must have thought was a stream, but it isn't. It's an overflow gulley from a pond further up the course. It has a concrete base, and the sides are shored up with timbers to a depth of 3 feet. Ma Mallard jumps in and of course the little ones follow. It's funny to see them sort of, "bounce" off the water, they're so small. They have a quick paddle round looking for some goodies, but because of the heavy rain in recent days, the duckilings are struggling to cope with the fast flow. Ma Mallard realises that there is no way out for the young ones; the sides are too deep. She tries to swim against the flow and take the little ones back up the feeder pipe, but the flow is too strong, so she takes them with the flow, towards another pipe further down. They all disappear into the pipe, but on the other side, the stream is just below the level of the grass. At this stage folks, I'm afraid to say, I had to leave and don't kow the fate of the ducklings, but looking at the layout of the area further down, I'm fairly confident that Ma Mallard will have gotten her young to safety. Not quite the ending to a round of golf that I was expecting!

[eleanor2]

Hopefully o.k Clarion, fingers crossed.

[Peter Pedant]

you went there - expecting to sink a putt ?

[Peter Pedant]

I was expecting you to refer to the Irwell that flows thro Phillips park

[wolf63]

I saw a similar incidents years ago.

A police officer was escorting mum and her babies from a built up area to the pond in the park.

Crossing the road into the park one baby fell down a drain. Mum duck started quacking at the officer but there really wasn't anything that could be done. I think mummy duck put a complaint in, she was not impressed with our police force.

[daisypotter]

All the tiny ducklings hatched on the river near to where I live have all been eaten by herons or gulls, poor little things didn't stand a chance. On the other hand the cygnets and goslings are thriving.

[daisypotter]

I hope the ducklings you saw made it 10C.

[10ClarionSt]

Thanks folks. This was in Heaton Park, Manchester. We were a bit concerned because some Magpies and Crows must have clocked what was happening and started gathering around but we chased them off. I'm sure they were ok but the pipe they went down must be about 30 yards long. If Ma Mallard could see the entrance at the far end, I'm sure she took them to that. Actually, a couple of years ago, a young deer fell victim to the same stretch when it must have fallen in overnight and been unable to climb out and it died. Park management removed it, but what a stench! Isn't nature wonderful? Not at times.

[daisypotter]

Sadly, female mallards don't make the best mums! I see it all the time on the river.

[Tilly2]

That stretch of water your talking about 10CS, sounds very dangerous. The next thing to fall in might be a toddler. Something should be done to make it safer.