Matilda's Brood

Last night, just as I was getting the kids down for bed, I couldn't help but look out the window down at Matilda. But, this time I noticed a few egg shells around her! Yay!! They're hatching. Although the sun was starting to set and light was getting dim, the girls we still so excited to see one little duckling poke out from under her wing. So as to avoid huge disappointment in the morning, I prepared them for the likelihood that they wouldn't see the ducklings or Matilda any more because I wasn't sure if they would all hatch at night and be gone by morning. Well, I am happy to report that it wasn't the case and we were able to watch several more hatch throughout the morning. Seriously, it was probably one of the coolest things I've witnessed in a long time. Just after one would hatch, they would all come out to find whatever food they could in the planter box, then she would quickly tuck them back under her wing or her belly where they would rest for awhile until another one hatched, and then she would have to move the empty shell out again.

It went on like this all morning long, until finally the last viable egg was hatched. That's when the show really started... However, to be truthful, I am soooo bummed that I wasn't actually there to witness it because I was out running errands. So, the story you will hear is a rewritten account of the events as they were described to me, and as witnessed on the video I saw when I got home.

If you don't already realize, Matilda's nest was in my raised herb planter box on the back deck of our house with a walk-out basement. When we first noticed her nesting there, we quickly had the concern of how those ducklings were going to get down. Matilda can fly just fine, but those new ducklings...not so much. So, after the last egg hatched, Matilda stepped onto the deck railing and started quacking for her ducklings to leave the nest. She then flew down to the patio below and quacked for them to follow. The oldest, and bravest ducklings first jumped off the planter box and onto the deck. Then, off the deck onto the patio below (still a long fall). Luckily, only one fell straight from the deck to the concrete. Three others had their falls broken by the retaining wall or the plastic playhouse on the patio. Realizing this wasn't the safest of routes, the smaller, and more cautious ducklings sat in the nest waiting for help. Matilda just kept calling for them, as there was nothing she could do. So, with a little human intervention (using soft gloves and cardboard box), the remaining four ducklings were carried down to safety and placed at Matilda's feet (along with the rest of the siblings). She quickly started walking all of them up a steep incline on the side of our house towards the pond across the street. It was very easy to see that the youngest one was not nearly as strong as the others and was really struggling to make it up the hill and in the grass (the grass was almost at tall as it was). Matilda was very patient and waited for the little one to catch up. But, when it wasn't making any progress at all, human intervention was again needed. It was brought back close to Matilda and off she marched. Again, she frequently stopped and waited for the little one. Finally, it was obvious the little one could go no further and it was carried in a bucket to the water. The rest of the family followed close behind and were happily reunited in the water where they could all swim and eat together as one big merry mallard family.

I feel so fortunate that Matilda chose our house to visit and it has been an extremely wonderful experience for the kids with witness. During her incubation phase, Meghan and Annabel would read to her at least once a day (usually it was the book about mallards rented from the library) but sometimes it was about dinosaurs (Annabel's choice). She really started to become a small addition to our family and even this evening, knowing that she's not in her nest nor will she ever be again this year, I still find myself looking out the window where she usually sat. Happy travels to you and your new brood Matilda!

Here are several photos taken throughout the morning at random times:

Sorry, there are no photos (only video) of the march of the mallards. But, it's kind of long, so we'll share it elsewhere.