Momma Duck

This summer a momma duck chose our front yard to be her nesting spot.  We have this quarter circle with flowers, and she started to nest right in the corner, against the house.  I watched her day after day.  I got a look into her nest while she was off feeding and I saw 8 eggs.  A couple days later I saw 10 eggs.  I did some research and it said the momma duck lays one egg a day, once the last egg is laid, then it would take up to three weeks for all the eggs to hatch.  Each day I would check on the momma duck and tell her she was being a good momma.  She tolerated me while I did yard work and watered the flowers from time to time.  I missed the hatching as I was on  trip to Boston.  I was a little sad to have missed this.  I did see the chicks with their momma down in the creek.  They were so cute.

I thought of a parallel with the momma duck and our hopes to adopt.  We need a birthmother to choose our house and us to raise her baby, just as the momma duck thought our front yard would be a safe place to lay her eggs.  I hope we can be chosen soon.

The chicks have all grown up now and spent their days at the pond across the street from our house.  I wish I could tell which ones were our ducks, but they all look the same.  Maybe next summer we will have another nest in our front yard.