Quacking Creche
A Black Duck and her brood of up to 28 ducklings made an unexpected visit to Donald last Friday, making their way through several streets before heading towards the Richardson River. Retired Buloke Times journalist Shane O’Shea captured the unusual sight.
It’s not every day that wild Black Ducks (Anas superciliosa) make house calls in Donald, but last Friday evening, retired “Buloke Times” journalist, Shane O’Shea, was able to enjoy such an experience when an adult duck and her extended brood of up to 28 ducklings stopped off briefly, on their way to the Richardson River via Byrne Street.
Ducks and other animals are known to share the workload when looking after newborns, identified as “creching”, and an opportunity to take a quick photograph of this stunning sight was just too good to resist.
But it wasn’t the large collection of almost 30 ducks that first caught Shane’s eye, but a mischief of Magpies, similar in number to the little quackers they were dive bombing and harassing.
Reports from other nearby residents indicate that the mobile brood also called in at the home of Mrs Margaret Pearse, in Cave Street, before making their way into Campbell Street, turning left and waddling towards Woods Street, which they crossed before taking a breather and seeking shelter from the marauding Magpies in the O’Sheas’ back yard.
Last seen, the overworked mother duck and her very large brood were headed through the yard of Daryl and Ting Warren, on their way to the safety of the Richardson River.
