A couple of you have asked me how the Mama Duck is doing and I am afraid I have a twist in the fairy tale ending I had hoped to share with you. Not five hours after I had first noticed the Mama Duck and her eggs, that would be five hours after Charlie had uprooted her from her stealth hiding place, she vanished.
I was totally wracked with sadness and guilt as she left behind three eggs that were just barely visible under some pine straw. Mother told me that the Mama Duck would be back. She filled my head with the comforting idea that the Mama Duck was just waiting until evening or waiting until she had Duck back-up with maybe a wheelbarrow or basket made from twigs from the back yard…but no such rescue happened.
It seemed like every couple of hours I would jump up and take a peak at the eggs from the corner of my dining room window. Curtain twitching on a different level. I watched the three eggs as if they were my very own charge. I sent pleas out into the Universe for the Mama Duck to come back and fetch her brood. I began to think that maybe she abandoned them because they were damaged. Surely it wasn’t because she no longer felt safe with a long nosed Scottie around.
This afternoon I was relaxing in the comfort of a good day with GM. We were watching a very well done documentary on Emile Norman and it made me want to be an artist and move to Big Sur. GM was positively engrossed on the whimsy of Emile and captivated by his stunning works of art. (check your local PBS listings for rebroadcast dates) During a quiet lull in the program I heard something unusual.
Peeping.
Honest to God peeping like a small child would make to indicate that they were a duckling. And yet this peeping was so so loud. Louder than I imagined a child would make. So I jumped up to the dining room window to investigate and there, bouncing around under the shrubbery was the loudest peeping baby duck ever. It was as if his small baby duck bill had been replaced with some sort of magical and invisible megaphone. He was literally peeping for his life.
And really, how do you google for what to do next? “mama duck’s abandoned egg hatched in my front yard now what???????” I knew it wouldn’t survive long and I couldn’t deal with the idea of a dead baby duck on my head. I didn’t buy into the symbolism that the Mama Duck was some sort of ornithological icon of my upcoming FET. (you people forget that I am the girl with real live storks that come to visit. The birds don’t mean jack shit to me anymore.) But no effing WAY was I going to let this baby duck die on my watch.
I roused GM up from her tea towel folding bliss (the woman loves to fold) and loaded her into the wheelchair. I grabbed the shoe box that just yesterday contained gifted progesterone and poked holes in the lid. I locked the dog up on the back porch and GM and I went out to rescue a bird.
And right on cue the across the street neighbors began an extensive tree trimming fit. Fantastic baby duck went into overdrive peeping away and freaking out. I sort of chased him around the shrubs but realized that if I touched him he might die or something. I never really payed attention to science class- but isn’t there some rule that we are all taught as children- if we touch a baby animal we will poison it with our human scent and then the mama animal will kill or abandon the baby?
So with the sooundtrack of buzz saws, GM cheering me on, and hysterical woofs from you know who, I somehow managed to convince baby duck to emerge from the shrubs and run down the side yard and towards the lake in the back yard.
It was utterly exhausting. But so worth it when an hour later I swear I saw baby duck bobbing along in the lake with a crew of much older ducks by his side. I have no idea if one of the older ducks was his Mama, but I have every hope that his new family will love him as if he was their own.
**EXTRA UPDATE**
Around 6pm I walked by the dining room and reflexively peeked out the window. And there was the Mama Duck. Oh I can not even begin to explain the guilt I felt. The only way I can sum it up is to quote an e-mail I sent to Bleu after she left me a comment on this post:
right now I am freaking out because the MAMA DUCK CAME BACK!!
and now I feel like I fucking stole her kid and gave it to another duck family.
do you think there is any chance that the mama duck was one of the ducks in the lake and upon seeing the chick remembered that she has an entire nest in my front shrubs?I feel horrible. just sick with regret
No joke. I was in tears. Mother came home from jury duty and I just bawled into her shoulder. I went back into the dining room and tried to vibe my apologies through the pane of glass to the Mama Duck. And then I saw movement next to Mama. And so then I was able to send this follow up to Bleu:
so NOW the mama duck has turned toward the window AND the baby duck is nestled into her side!!
For real. Now I don’t have proof that it is THE baby duck, but I am choosing to believe it is.
Don’t forget to watch 30 Days tonight and come back for a fireside chat on Wednesday.
{ 19 comments… read them below or add one }
Good job hun. If ever you find yourself in a situation where they really do need help every town has bird rescue volunteers who know how to best save birds or baby birds. We have had some injured birds come by and the volunteers will usually either come pick up or arrange a meet place for you to drop off. You might want to look it up to have on hand if ever you should need it.
These bird stories always choke me up. I’m so proud of you. Thanks for taking care of that little guy and always rooting for the underdogs. You’re putting some pretty serious karma out there love and it’s going to come back to you ten fold.
xo
You take the every day and turn them into beautiful stories. I truly enjoy reading every day and I agree, all that good karma’s just waiting to fall back onto you. Good luck with this cycle.
Ha, that’s awesome!
I had a similar experience a couple of weeks ago. This stray cat I feed had cornered a teeny tiny baby bird, and when I chased it to try to put it in a shoe box it would jump straight for the cat! I thought it had a death wish! Finally I got it in the box and started my mad googling “baby bird rescue” and had no idea what I was going to do. So finally, at my wit’s end, I went outside and lifted the lid off the box. The bird miraculously flew into a high bush where the cat couldn’t get him (or her?) It was awesome. The cat wasn’t too happy with me though!
You’re so great!
Yay! Go Animal Rescuer, go!
You can always call my mama with questions on how do save baby animals – she knows that shit backwards and forwards. But clearly this time you didn’t need my mama *or* google – you totally did it up right.
I was seriously hoping that this story would end with the baby duck living in your bedroom. I suppose you actually did the best thing for the duck. Way to go, duck whisperer!
I hope Baby Duck will fit into his new adopted family! I’m glad you helped to save him/her.
A good deed for the duckling
too sweet. makes you wonder what happened to mama though…
reminds me of a story. the little girl next door rescued a baby wren that had been pushed out of the nest by its mother. she found it on the ground defenseless, just born, unable to open its eyes, doomed. she got a box and made a nest, then came over for some of our unltd. internet so I could help her look up what to do next to keep it alive overnight. the next day she brought it to a rescue org., and 3 wks later they invited her to release it… so sweet!
too sweet. the miracle of adoption in nature.
reminds me of a story. the little girl next door rescued a baby wren that had been pushed out of the nest by its mother. she found it on the ground defenseless, just born, unable to open its eyes, doomed. she got a box and made a nest, then came over for some of our unltd. internet so I could help her look up what to do next to keep it alive overnight. the next day she brought it to a rescue org., and 3 wks later they invited her to release it… so sweet!
Oh no! I hope he was indeed adopted then!
I would have done the same thing. I drive my hubby crazy b/c I am always trying to save animals. I have taken countless numbers of abandoned birds and rabbits and such to a ‘local’ wildlife center are mere 70 miles away! I also try to rescue dogs on the highway. Hubby loves smelly bug and germ infested puppies in his car too!
Ducks will imprint on whoever they see first. So even if the family you saw it with isn’t his bio fam it’s now his family. They also feed themselves from birth, so all should be well. We had baby ducks as kids and they were great fun, they’d follow me and my brother down the street, since they had imprinted on us.
I’ve heard something similar about touching baby birds: that by touching them you leave your scent and then their parents won’t recognize them. It’s wonderful that you gave this little guy a shot at a good start.
Godspeed, Little Duckie!
Oh Cali. You sound just like me. I save every animal (even every bug) that I see in trouble. I would have done the exact same thing. You did the right thing and I am glad it had a happy ending.
Aww! You’re like a duckie adoption coordinator. Maybe you could do that in your “spare” time.
Mamma Duck and Baby Duck *were* united. You did a good thing Cali
(I believe it is THE baby duck as well)
Wish there was more like you… I really do! You go girl!