It was inevitable that the wild duck would be able to fly at some point. The timing was important. I wanted to be around it if it took a big flight. What if it flew over the fence? What if it flew into the road? What if it flew off and ate some toxic substance in a neighbor's yard? The possibilities of injury or harm this little wild bird could endure, I imagined. Once it could fly, I'd have to make sure I could get it to the lake - which was only a few blocks from our urban home. And I had to make sure it wasn't too imprinted. I had to make sure it was disease free. I had to make sure of so many things just like any wildlife rehab. facility would. Did I give it enough space? Yes, free range wild duck. Did I feed it enough lake diet food? Yes, trips to net lots of lake food to put in a pool were definitely worth it. Was the duck too attached to humans? Well, maybe a little comfortable with me, maybe to my family; but it was very shy of visitors. Not too heavily imprinted. It stuck mainly with the other ducks and maintained a healthy distance from humans most of the time. But from ducklings to ducks, they had a lot of good moments of growing and learning together. Here are some of the duck memories before the wild one was set free into the wild world.
First time free-ranging in the yard. Bigger space for growing quackers.
Special duck crumble fortified with niacin to prevent serious deformities.
Hanging out.
As the domestic ducks grew, they surpassed the wild one by almost double the size. A wild duck like this only gets to 2.5 lbs. The domestics grow to be 6.5 to 7 lbs. Here they enjoy a morning snack of freshly shredded zucchini.
Sleeping by our feet under our patio set.
Foraging for seeds, berries, tomatoes, weeds, grasses, bugs, slugs, etc.
Enjoying the rain from the down spout.
Bathing in the rain from the down spout.
Enjoying a heavy rainstorm.
Ducks love water - especially wild ducks.
They love rain boots and feet.
Preening after the rain.
Buddies.
When they just need to get into some water right away - the drinking water will have to do.
Duck in a bucket trying to swim.
So as the ducklings grew, they gained lots of feathers. The down turned into beautiful feathers of all sorts. The wild duck gained flight feathers. Once those flight feathers came in, the wing flapping began. And within a few days, the wild duck was gaining some height and momentum. I waited until those flight feathers could carry it far.
And here it flies. The domestic ducks cannot fly. They are too heavy. But that wild duck - it can maneuver and fly beautifully.
After a few attempts of it flying much further - into the road, over the fence and away one night at dusk (it came back in the dark with a thud into our house), I knew it was time to take it "home". So after a couple of days together, we, as a family, let it "free". It was always free to go, but our concrete jungle of urban yards and cars and barking dogs is no place for a young wild duck. Without me, it would not know to go to the lake with all the other ducks just like it. So here began the process of saying good-bye. And with any good-bye, especially if you're a sucker for photos for memories, you take lots of photos before the end.
Nibbling the ring. Ducks like anything shiny.
Last cup of 6:30 am coffee with the entire gang.
Preening me.
Preening again.
Hanging with the kid in the fort.
Always found a place to nap beneath a chair.
Nibbling hair.
And then that was it. Memories made. What an amazing journey. It was time for the journey to continue, but solo. All babies must leave their mothers. This one was ready.
The big morning. Out at the shore land where urban life meets quiet walking trails and gardens along the water. Dozens and dozens of ducks await. So much food and water for this wild feathered friend.
After we took the wild duck to the water, we let it out of the carrier (which it was peacefully calm in). It waddled out of the carrier, eagerly walked up to the water, peered out to the great big world ahead of it. Within moments it shook it's tail, and took flight. It flew and flew and flew until we could no longer see it. The moment was beautiful. It was joyous to see the once left for dead abandoned egg, hatched out, grown, and flying free in the amazing world. We all sighed a relief that it left, and left willingly and happily into the great wide open arms of planet earth.
But of course, I monitored to see if it lingered in the bay with the ducks, or if it hounded after humans, or if by chance if might get hurt in any way. Over several days I checked morning and night on the wild duck. It did not favor humans, and it was doing great on its own. A few times, I was lucky enough to spot it, and even twice it came to visit. But as the days passed, the bond between I and the duck passed, and this duck went back to the wild.
The first night. It swam to only me. Imprinting is crazy.
It insisted on hanging out a while by the shore until it flew back into the water.
The next morning after the first night alone. It was doing great, but came to visit.
Foraging for bugs. Then it flew away.
The daily checks showed me that the duck was not dependent on humans. Because of the imprinting it knew me, so it would come "say hello", but it did not need me or any other human. It had grown up with other ducks, it had not been handled by us much, and it was fed what wild ducks need. It was comfortable on its own, and it was comfortable with the other ducks. It loved the lake. It did not seek other humans out, and after a few days it no longer visited me, and I was sure to not encourage it to visit. All good signs of a successful wild duck release. It should have never needed a human in the first place. All wild ducks and their eggs should be left for their mother duck. This one - this little egg that was deemed unviable by some - was lucky. Lucky to have a chance at life because life is so amazing - it's worth living.
The last time we saw it - swimming about, eating - over a week after release into the wild.
It gathered with the other ducks to begin the big Fall journey.
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