Wild mama and babies

[Miss Lydia]

You and the others deserve medals for what your doing. I hope they are still there tomorrow and you can rescue them.

 

[BelovedBirds]

You and the others deserve medals for what your doing. I hope they are still there tomorrow and you can rescue them.

Thank you!
Might as well start volunteering with them at this point!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Great idea you sure have the experience now.

 

[BelovedBirds]

Well, I tried my very best to get the remaining five but I need someone with a second net or its hopeless, they're so clever they flee far from us whenever we attempt to get them in a corner...
All five are still alive though. I think its hopeless as far as saving them, I think I just need to be happy having saved 4. I think that has balanced nature out a bit in this situation, half the brood saved.

It's pretty heart wrenching though. The rescue are notified about them being there still, but they're so busy I'm not sure anyone will be able to go to them.

There's a mallard hen who they certainly like, but she's not behaving as mum would. She is the only duck that isn't aggressive to them, but she doesn't talk to them, or guide them, or protect them, or keep them with her. She just allows them to hover near her for a few minutes. And then she goes off about her business and they're all alone again. I wonder whether she's mum, and just lost interest? Shes frequently pestered by drakes, and runs from them into the bushes in terror. Perhaps the constant stress, and perhaps it being her first brood, was too much?
Just a theory.
Either way it would be nice if she'd take them under her wing. I guess anything is possible after seeing a juvenile hen take a 2-4 week old under her care.

I don't know what to do at this point, if the rescue gives up. There's not really anything we can do, but we could keep trying, but its an hour there and back, we spent 8 hours there today trying on and off and couldn't get them.

A photo of the remaining 5 babies

 

[Miss Lydia]

And they are so precious too. I'm sorry it hasn't worked out for ya'll to rescue them. Do you think there is still a chance the others will come and try.

 

[BelovedBirds]

And they are so precious too. I'm sorry it hasn't worked out for ya'll to rescue them. Do you think there is still a chance the others will come and try.

There's certainly a chance, but the day is almost over and I haven't heard confirmation of anyone going out

I've done my very best, I did everything the rescue people did, but single handed is simply impossible on a lake this size

 

[Miss Lydia]

I know you did your best. I know you wanted to rescue these little ones

 

[Klutch]

The isn't greener always.

 

[BelovedBirds]

I know you did your best. I know you wanted to rescue these little ones

You know the hen I mentioned? If we did any good for the remaining babies, it's scare them towards her. After trying to catch them, they sought her out and stayed with her for the evening. She doesn't seem interested in them, but she never attacks them and let's them tag along whenever they like. I wonder if she's mum or if she's just had babies before and is indifferent to them?
Shes a sweet girl either way. Poor girl kept getting harassed by drakes, but she's learned to escape into the bramble bushes and they leave her alone.

Anyway, I hope that they learn to stay close to her whenever they feel unsafe. It's better than nothing and they might learn a few things!
She didn't care when the brood was all there, or when the other ducklings left, but now the group is smaller she doesn't mind being around them. Perhaps they stand a chance, like the orphaned 3 week old who found safety in the juvenile hen.

I'm going to do one more thing though. Every time we have seen other birds trying to drown the ducklings, is when passers-by are throwing bread in. All the geese, swans, ducks go to it in a huge rush and the ducklings go too, gey caught in the middle, and then viciously attacked. It's hard for them to escape the chaos.

And so, I'm going to make posters warning people of this and asking them not to feed the birds in this particular area. I also put the number of the wildlife rescue at the bottom so that if they see any of the ducklings injured or in danger, they can call. Because the RSPCA won't let you through to a person and won't help injured wildlife anymore. Why? I have no idea. System sucks.

Anyway, if less people throw food in, less feeding frenzies happen and the ducklings are a tiny bit safer.
Does that sound like a good plan? I'm doing all in my power. I'd go back and try again today, but I know deep down I'm not going to be successful. It took more than 5 people, two massive nets and more than 2 hours to get 4. And it's harder now because they know what the nets are. If I go and keep trying, I'm only going to get more emotionally invested and more depressed over it. I think the posters are the last difference I can make.

But we've saved half. There's some peace in that.

 

[BelovedBirds]

The isn't greener always.

Not sure what you mean? We don't have pigeon eating fish here.
I understand there's always natural threats, but my goal is to eliminate some of the unnatural disadvantages and threats to balance it out.