I have a narrowboat on the Brecon and Monmouth canal and my main love in life is fishing so I tend to be by the water a fair bit.
2 years ago I was fishing a local club lake when along came a tiny little green gosling. Totally alone on a lake that holds a large head of good sized pike and is resident to a large family of mink.
She swam off around the island and I didnt think I would see her again. Ive seen ducklings taken by the pike on this lake before now and I didnt give her a cat in hells chance of making it round the island to be honest.
An hour later I was proven wrong and I heard her calling and calling and she came up on the peg next to me.
I caught her with my landing net.
I was the only angler on the lake and there were no Canada Geese on there either. To cut a long story short we looked after her and she eventually grew up and flew off.
Today while I was on my boat painting I was given a tiny little mallard duckling. I dont think it was more than 24 hours old. I told the guy he should have left it where it was but that was all I could do really.
I took it and walked back to were he said he had found it. I couldnt see any mallards at all just a coot with chicks and there was no way I was going to leave it there because I believe the coot would have probably killed it.
Eventually having asked everyone on the towpath 2 dear old ladies told me that just round the basin was a mallard with tiny ducklings.
I could have kissed them.
We walked back together and there she was and the ducklings were exactly the same size. I fed the mum and let the little one go at the same time and it went straight to the female and mixed in with the others.
I watched them for about 20 minutes and I think it must have been hers because she didnt seem to notice she had gained one at all.
It made my day to see that tiny little thing happy and safe again.
2 years ago I was fishing a local club lake when along came a tiny little green gosling. Totally alone on a lake that holds a large head of good sized pike and is resident to a large family of mink.
She swam off around the island and I didnt think I would see her again. Ive seen ducklings taken by the pike on this lake before now and I didnt give her a cat in hells chance of making it round the island to be honest.
An hour later I was proven wrong and I heard her calling and calling and she came up on the peg next to me.
I caught her with my landing net.
I was the only angler on the lake and there were no Canada Geese on there either. To cut a long story short we looked after her and she eventually grew up and flew off.
Today while I was on my boat painting I was given a tiny little mallard duckling. I dont think it was more than 24 hours old. I told the guy he should have left it where it was but that was all I could do really.
I took it and walked back to were he said he had found it. I couldnt see any mallards at all just a coot with chicks and there was no way I was going to leave it there because I believe the coot would have probably killed it.
Eventually having asked everyone on the towpath 2 dear old ladies told me that just round the basin was a mallard with tiny ducklings.
I could have kissed them.
We walked back together and there she was and the ducklings were exactly the same size. I fed the mum and let the little one go at the same time and it went straight to the female and mixed in with the others.
I watched them for about 20 minutes and I think it must have been hers because she didnt seem to notice she had gained one at all.
It made my day to see that tiny little thing happy and safe again.
