It’s OVER! We Found Them Homes, Sort of…
We were pleased to finally coax the adolescent ducklings out of our backyard, like Little Red Riding Hood. But guess what? They squeezed back under the gate, and we were back where we had started.
Having called two “reputable” rescue agencies, we finally gave up because there were no responses. Frankly, who wants to come out and pick up two measly yard ducks when oil-spill ducks need saving?
So, we then turned to YouTube for advice on “how to catch a duck.” After watching two or three videos, we finally felt confident in the technique. Then we just had to corral the ducks, who are surprisingly quick and adept at hiding. After terrorizing them both, we finally caught one and drove it to the nearby duck pond. No ducks—just geese—so we passed.
We found another pond! No ducks. Just geese! ARGH.
Finally (while Don is holding this poor duck pooping and shaking), I’m driving around the nearby park… where we finally dropped Duck #1. She chased after the mama ducks, and they, in turn, bit at her. Sigh. She may not make it through the night.
We quickly drove home, caught Duck #2, and drove back to the park, where a very caring employee agreed (begrudgingly) to take her. She didn’t think Duck #1 would survive, but hopefully, Duck #2 will survive under this lovely lady’s care.
DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH TIME IT ALL TOOK? ALMOST ALL FREAKING DAY!
The take-home:
DO NOT LET DUCKS MAKE NESTS and LAY EGGS in your backyard. They’re cute but messy and hard to evict humanely. Okay. We could have just put them on the street…but that’s not us.
Next year, we will leave pool toys in the pool to discourage the ducks from landing and nesting, and we may have a dog. Dogs are better than ducks.
