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Ducks on Gilling Beck
Pictures taken by Stuart Belton - 28/04/2006
The first brood of ducklings has appeared on the beck! The
mother laid 18 eggs, but when 14 had hatched, she apparently said "Enough is
enough!" and took off with those of the brood that could follow her,
leaving four eggs behind.
One was rotten, but the other three had started to hatch.
Not for the first time, Village Blacksmith, Maurice Stafford, and his wife,
Margaret, stepped in to try and save the day. One duckling unfortunately did
not make it, but the other two successfully hatched under the Staffords tender
administrations, and to date both are doing well.
As they cannot be re-united with the mother, Maurice and
Margaret are planning to raise them until they are able to fly, so that they
can then fend for themselves. It seems likely, however, that they will follow
in the footsteps of previous fosterlings, and continue to visit the Staffords
for some time afterwards.
