Something I have learned over time with my ducks is that, when I am near them, less is more.
I try to make myself smaller, less of an intrusion, move slowly & deliberately, and always speak / sing in a quiet voice - even before I get to them.
(As soon as I walk onto the breezeway, before I open the door to go outside I start to talk to them. They hear that door, and they want to know - is that the food monster, or one of the little monsters?)
I have also found this to be true in moving them from place to place, or getting them into their house at night. If I just sit in my usual place & ignore them, they will go right into the house. If I go outside with the intention of
trying to get them in I have a much harder time.
I try to spend as much time with them as I can, but I try to do very little some of that time, except talk to them.
We have a secure night pen that is big enough for 10 ducks (technically), and I have 3 in it now.
I think I could get one more duck in before it reached capacity.
I think it is important to get your ducklings used to you being around, used to you handling them some - check feet, wings, legs, eyes - and used to you being the water bearer, pea giver, food monster. It will come in handy when they hit their puberty phase around 3-6 weeks & think you are here to eat them - again. It will also come in handy when you put them outside & give them some space. You want them to see you & think - PEAS? WATER? SWIM? Otherwise you may have a little more trouble with your adult ducks than you bargain for.
Unless you are raising loads & loads of ducklings, in which case you are probably not going to be able to have the personal relationship with all 100 that some of us have with our small flocks.
That's the great thing about raising ducks, most ways are right enough. It is challenging as a new duck owner to pick & choose through all the info out there, especially since there are so many ways to practice duck husbandry, and they are all good in their context.
I think another good bit of advice is - they are not as fragile as they can sound. Common sense & instinct will serve you just fine 99% of the time. Remember, very few people post to BYC saying, "My ducklings are healthy as all get out again today!", and for every worried duck owner who posts here there are thousands of duck owners just sitting by the pool, or hosing off the deck, like they always do.
... Wow, that was long. See what happens when I take a few days away ...