Seven Lovely Ducklings

Peter Hewitt of Ray White Beecroft Real Estate Agency did his first official WIRES rescue today, responding to a plea from a lady in West Pennant Hills. A duck with seven ducklings were in her swimming pool, and she wanted them removed to somewhere safer from her dogs and neighbourhood cats.

Catching the ducklings was easy, just chase them with the pool scooper until they dive then catch them like fish.

Then we walked the basket to the Wirreanda Retirement Home, with mommy duck walking along beside us clucking furiously, but sensibly flying over the main road even though we were holding up the traffic for her. By the time we reached the lovely Wirreanda pond, mom was already in the water waiting, and we released the ducklings into her care.

Interestingly this was a repeat of something that has happened twice before, at one year intervals. Obviously lady duck breeds them near this house, takes them to the nice clean swimming pool to freshen up and get a feed of corn, and then expects to be escorted to the Wirreanda Retirement Home duck pond.

Apparently the residents love having ducks on their pond, and as you can see the pond is just ideal for ducks. By the way Ingrid, WIRES Waterbird Coordinator, subsequently identified them as native Pacific Black Ducks.