Happy Mothers Day

Happy Mothers Day
Originally uploaded by Finiky.

Thursday while checking on my Osprey's I noticed coming down the middle of the Potomac river a Female Wood duck and her ducklings.

As many know we've had 9 days of rain and at times heavy rain. Water levels are very high, currents swift and lots of debris in the water. I starting watching her when she was about a half mile away.

She would swim with her babies around her - then stop. Swim then stop. Then I saw the wee duckling that couldn't keep up. The wee duckling tried and tried but apparently was too tired to stay up with it's family.

So Mama would stop and let the little one catch up. There were a few times I thought she might leave it as they were all vulnerable out there- in the middle of the Potomac. But to her credit she stopped numerous times. Once in a while one of the other wee ducklings would visit the duckling that couldn't keep up, then go racing back to the others.

Also I couldn't understand why she would be swimming down the middle. I don't know anything about currents and such, but thought if she were along the shore line they could all rest.

After getting by the marina boat launch area - she waited one last time for the wee duckling then they all swam to the shoreline- to rest and to continue making there way to their destination.

While i wish the light was better - you gotta work with what you have but I since it's Mothers Day I felt the story very fitting.

Happy Mothers day ~