We discovered the nest as close as it possibly could be to our building on Mothers Day.
When mom would take a break nearby . . .
. . . she would leave the dozen eggs exposed.
But when she left to go farther away . . .
. . . she would cover them with down and sticks to keep them insulated and hidden.
On May 31, nine of the eggs hatched, and for a few hours the ducklings remained beneath her, though some finally became restless.
The first two finally wandered out, but stayed very close.
Finally, they all wandered out, but four became separated for a few minutes.
Since they couldn't climb, mom took the rest down to reunite with them.
She's not shy about warning intruders.
When it began to rain, she kept them all dry.
The proud dad cools off.
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