Little Duck, Big World

As I have said before I like to metal detect on the beach and I find many different things. One evening about six o'clock I decided to metal detect for a couple hours so I went down by the water to look around and I saw this little baby duck all alone swimming by shore. There were some people laying on their blankets and they told me people were trying to catch the baby all afternoon. I use a french fry basket to scoop the sand up when I am detecting, so I scooped the baby up in it and pushed the opening against my stomach to hold the duck in.

I gave up detecting and went to my car and put the fryer in upside down to keep the baby from going all over my car. I knew of this woman that took in birds and ducks that were hurt or abandoned by their moms. I went home first to show the baby duck to my family. They were surprised and had to hold the baby. I took my grandaughter with me to ask the woman if she would take the baby. To my surprise the women no longer did this. I had to think fast, and come up with a plan of some kind.

I knew the baby duck was exhausted and looked weak. It was getting dark, so I headed back to the beach and went to where I had found the baby before. We started toward the pier looking for a mom duck with babies. Having no luck on the beach I decided when we reached the pier to go on it. We were about twenty feet out on the pier when I noticed the baby getting excited, and making noises, and then I heard a duck quacking. I went toward the sound and saw a female duck and when she saw me she quick jumped back in the water. I looked over the side and I saw she had baby ducks. I told my grandaughter to throw the baby in, she said no it will drown. I told her it will go under and pop right back up and that is exactly what happened - he popped back up and swam right for his mom quacking all the way. I was so happy that I had come looking for his mom, and the happy reunion brought a tear to my eyes and a joy to my heart.