PLEASE HELP STRAY TINY DUCKLING

[Ursuline Chick]

@swampfox440 Awesome info. I've been outside melting all day, keeping watch from a distance. All I'm hearing is the nonstop ATVs, fireworks, gun shots, blasting rap music, revving pickup trucks of people who have camps along the river. It will get much much worse tonight.
Is there any chance that tomorrow morning, mama duck will be around?
Should I drive ducky over to the river and look/listen for a duck family - or should I just wait here and look/listen? Is this the right sound?

There are often Wood Duck boxes (nests) built above ground, you may want to look a little higher than your head or head height if you are tall for a Wood Duck box. Then look around for Mom and babies. Good Luck

 

[PeepOverlord]

Yes you did good !

I only did what you guys said to do =p Tough tiny duck seems vy determined to live. Excuse the crappy pic, I took it from a distance.
So far, so good. You guys are giving me hope that in the morning, mama duck will be found and the family reunited!

 

[swampfox440]

@swampfox440 Awesome info. I've been outside melting all day, keeping watch from a distance. All I'm hearing is the nonstop ATVs, fireworks, gun shots, blasting rap music, revving pickup trucks of people who have camps along the river. It will get much much worse tonight.
Is there any chance that tomorrow morning, mama duck will be around?
Should I drive ducky over to the river and look/listen for a duck family - or should I just wait here and look/listen? Is this the right sound?

Yes, I can't believe you found that , I would listen where you found it . You are good at things .

 

[JessicaDotta]

Awww, I have baby Mallards (purchased from the store and then had their own ducklings.) That one looks less than a week or so old. It will want to be the 80-degree range (in case you have air conditioning on).

Poor lil guy must be lonely.

 

[PeepOverlord]

Awww, I have baby Mallards (purchased from the store and then had their own ducklings.) That one looks less than a week or so old. It will want to be the 80-degree range (in case you have air conditioning on).

Poor lil guy must be lonely.

No worries. It's been outside safe in the big tote all day. I have a wifi camera on it and a motion alarm in the carport. Its still 95 in the shade here, but thankfully starting to cool. I'm still outside, listening closely, hoping to hear the wood duck sound.
I'll bring ducky inside for the night when I go in, and keep the a/c off. 530 am tomorrow I'll be outside again, hoping to hear its mama.
I'll keep the chickens in their pen area (normally I free range them) so they can't scare her off if she shows up.

 

[PeepOverlord]

Yes, I can't believe you found that , I would listen where you found it . You are good at things .

Ducky found me, 15 feet from my door while I was weeding this morning. Ran into me and started jumping like popcorn trying to get over my leg. I sat there stunned for a minute with my brain locked up: "Big moth. No wait hummingbird. Nope. Chick? OhMaiGawdItHasBlackWebbedFeetWithClaws. This is a duck? A duck then. Whut. No. Ducks aren't black. Are they?"
I scooped it up put it in a tote and came here because I knew you guys would help ducky!
And of the 4 rehabbers I was able to contact - @swampfox440 has been more helpful than all of them.
Oh, and no one can take him, they're all full up with animals in need of help. Still looking for a bird rehabber in SE Louisiana.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Aww poor baby no one wants to help but you and all of us. But we can only give support on line. Sure isn't the same as being there. No one on your state forum said anything to help either?

 

[PeepOverlord]

Aww poor baby no one wants to help but you and all of us. But we can only give support on line. Sure isn't the same as being there. No one on your state forum said anything to help either?

I feel confident in the advice from you guys, esp @swampfox440, who actually kept and raised Wood Ducks. the rehabbers I spoke to (who were licensed for birds), told me to just expect ducky to die. Nope.
They had no idea about the mirror, the little wiggly worms, or the small stuffed animal, but all said they were going to try those things.
So by all of you taking the time to help, share experience and knowledge, a bunch of birds besides ducky will be saved now.
If, in the morning, mama duck doesn't show up and I can't find duckys family, I have one more rehabber on the list to call.

 

[PeepOverlord]

Update : Happily Ever After
This morning, tiny ducky was reunited with it's duck family. At 645am, after about an hour of sitting still and quiet, I spotted the others on the semi-cleared vacant land next to me. I snuck up to the fenceline with tiny duck and held it down near the ground, but above the weeds. As soon as ducky saw the others: *peep-peep-peep-peep!*. I put ducky thru the fence and off it went! Tiny stick arms held out like an airplane, tiny legs a blur. I waited to be sure ducky was accepted and watch them all wander off together.
Thanks bunches to everyone who helped this lost wild duckling.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Congratulations for a job well done. And love the ending to this amazing rescue! You made me laugh outloud!!