Earlier Today in a Very busy ‘Bank Street ‘ Dumfries Both Traffic and Pedestrians were brought to a standstill while a very caring mother walked her children home safely !
A Mother Duck (Mallard) was spotted by the public walking her ten little ducklings down Bank street in Dumfries during rush hour , outside the Mississippi Bar grill earlier today ,Thursday the 26th of June !
Mrs Autumn Hyslop Told DGWGO ” It was just the sweetest thing ever. My husband and I were in town today walking past Mississippi in the town centre ,when we noticed the duck an all her ducklings walking down the road!”
” We and some other passerby helped stop cars, and Guide the ducks towards the Whitesands to the River Nith . The wee ducklings struggled to get onto pavements but mother mallard duck wouldn’t let any human help them and just patiently waited for each one of her young to make the journey by themselves. By this point of time there was quite a lot of traffic building up as well .”
” We finally got them to the water an Mother Duck jumped in (a massive distance) we all stood back and watched while each duckling built up the courage to jump! In the end up a whole load of strangers were in tears of Joy at the side of the Nith while watching . ”
THE RSPCA Web Site had this info
Travelling to water
If the nest is some way from water, this first journey can be the most perilous time in a duckling’s life. Where a nest is high up (up a tree or on a balcony) the birds must first jump to the ground. Being very light and covered in down they usually come to no harm during the fall. If the landing area is very hard and there is cause for concern, placing something soft like straw or a blanket underneath will cushion the fall.
Next, they will have a long and potentially hazardous walk before they can reach water.
The mother duck knows where the nearest water is to take her young to, although it may be a couple of miles away. In most instances it is best to leave her alone, because interference can cause extra stress and risk the mother panicking and abandoning her brood. In many instances keeping an eye from the distance and shepherding the family across a danger point, such as a busy road, is all that is needed. you can read more on http://www.rspb.org.uk/advice/helpingbirds/nesting_mallards/ducklings.aspx
Pictures , Video and Interview supplied by Mrs Autumn Hyslop for DGWGO use
