Displaced Duck Ditty

This isn't the most perfect pic ever, but it comes with a story.

On walking home from town this morning I was startled to see this mother duck and ducklings on the pavement. There's a village stream a couple of streets away, the nearest place they were likely to have come from. Two of us tried to gently 'herd' them in the right direction but mum duck dived into thick undergrowth and we couldn't find them.

After lunch, concerned for them (traffic, cats, dogs) we returned, to find a couple of people who happened to be passing, who have a smallholding with ducks (what are the odds?) with a carrying crate trying to get the family into it, to carry to the stream. Another neighbour showed up - now there were 5 people and the ducks. One by one, we got the ducklings in the crate; their loud calling drew mum duck out - and we had them all in the box and off and away back home to the stream.

We were concerned we might not have all the ducklings - but my hurried pic shows 8 youngsters, and that's how many we found.

A happy ending!