Another dramatic day on the riverside, just as I was beginning to relax after the last release. Trust member and riverside resident Ian Pollock saw a Mother duck being pounced on by several Drakes and severely injured. He climbed down the footbridge at Merryton and picked up the injured, exhausted bird for the attention of the Trust.
On inspection it was doubtful she would survive more than a few hours as she was one of the worst cases I'd seen for a while. I left her in peace and quiet for a couple of hours before giving her treatment - Anti inflammatory / pain killer. Within a couple more hours Ian phoned again with the news that 6 ducklings were on the river with apparently no mother around... could it be that the injured duck was their Mother ?
Was obvious that a rescue had to be mounted before the predators got the ducklings. Supplied with Net and wellies Ian managed to catch all 6 in two lots, a job well done ! The acid test was seeing if these were in fact Mother and her recently hatched Ducklings ? Putting them in beside her, my heart sank when she warned them away as they were peeping and desperate to get under her. They obviously recognised her as mum. The realization dawned on me that she was in such pain that she could not bear to be touched, even by her ducklings !
However, one persistent little duckling eventually got under her front.. the part with no injury, and as the treatment took effect, one even got on her back! When she is out of danger, I'll transfer her and ducklings to the outside aviary. Thanks to Ian and the Trust, we might just get a happy ending to this one !
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