Sorry Mom

[Jameson]

So, I was walking back down to the dock after going to the truck to grab something. Poor Mama wooduck and her 18 little little chicks happened to be near the dock and got spooked by me. The babies went swimming to deeper water and Mama did her best injured duck impersonation and headed in the direction of what happened to be my only way out. So, I walk behind her for a ways as she is doing her wounded duck impersonation and I step off to the side and sorta hide and be still as soon as I get a chance. She keeps going till she is probably 100 yards from the lake and then does a u-turn and starts waddling back to the lake. She flies the last bit to the lake and lets out some chirps calling for her babies. Didn't take long and family was reunited. Sorry for disturbing you Mom.

[TylerS]

18 chicks. I imagine those were hatched thanks to a few other mama woodies dropping off an egg or two in her nest cavity. They get the chance of their duckling hatching without doing any work on the raising.

Neat story! Thanks for sharing.

[littlebear]

Based on the title, and the start of the story, I thought it was going to end with a pesky northern getting an easy lunch....

[Bryce]

Have one box hatched out but still has eggs and they are covered. Strange. Possibly two hens sitting? Or merganser has some in there. Couple of very cold nights since laid though. Will monitor over the next week. Other box has woodie still sitting but very small clutch. Less than a half dozen it appears.

[Jameson]

yeah...I don't know if there were 18 chicks, just know there was a bunch of those little fuzzballs. And my main worry watching and waiting for Mom to find her chicks was having a Tonka Muskie come along for a small snack.