Happy Mother's Day from Arterpillar

Yeah, I know I'm a tad late for a Mother's Day message, but I had the honor of spending some of my day with the Mother of the Year ... a new duck friend who showed up this week with more than a dozen babies in tow. I already can't imagine how she keeps track of so many babies, but then something really amazing happened. As she stood at the side of the lake with her ducklings, another big batch of ducklings floated up. I was thinking how odd it was to see all babies and no mom, and then Mama Duck began calling to them, as if she'd been waiting for them all along ... I don't know if she's really their mom, but for the last few days, she's had 24 ducklings in her care.

It's a lot to handle and already she has lost one of the 24. Three fell down a drainage grate today and thankfully the fire department was able to rush out and rescue two of them, but one died. Earlier in the day, the mother duck came to my window and seemed to be calling to me ... I went out to check on her, but came to the conclusion that she was simply rounding up her ducklings, which she was, but probably because she was worried about them falling into the drainage ditch too.

I wished I had been more in tune and realized there was more happening. I keep thinking about her dilemma earlier today. Three duckies down there in need of rescue and the minute she goes in that direction, the 21 more duckies following behind her would be in danger of falling in. In the end she had to make the sort of decision no mother should ever have to make.

It's only recently that I've begun spending more time with ducks and realizing a little of what they have to endure each day ... having their babies stolen by hawks, or their legs severely tangled up in fishing lines, complete with bobbers that people left behind ... swimming in lakes full of crap people thew in or left behind and looking for places to hide to lay their eggs.

The Muscovy ducks, I feel, have it especially hard, as there are people who just outright hate them and fail to see how beautiful they really are. ... from the time they're fuzzy little yellow and brown ducklings until the time they're all grown up and caring for, in some cases, literally dozens of ducklings.

Happy Mother's Day to moms everywhere, of all kinds ... and anyone who has a mom, or ever did. Above are some pics of a Muscovy Mom in her better moments of the day. Last I saw her she was leading her two recovered duckies back to the pack ... and reorganizing her crew. I don't know how she gets through each day ... but I can only hope to be as strong when faced with so many obstacles.