At the start of this month, I announced the arrival of five Mallard ducklings. (See my July 6 post.) I have not written about them since – for two reasons. First, within 48 hours of first seeing them, their count was at four. I just didn’t have the heart to break the news to my readers. Second, my sightings of the family do not occur often, so there was nothing to report. And, each day I didn’t see them I was glad, as it meant the mother was keeping them well hidden. I did wonder where they were, however.

Then one day, I accidentally frightened them from their hideout. I had moved close to the shore at one end of the pond to take a picture of a flower, and with much commotion the mother and her four babies scurried from the reeds and paddled away from me. No sooner had they hit the water, when there was much splashing. A turtle had snapped at them and they all scattered. My heart sank. But, I was relieved to observe the ducklings scurry back to their mother’s side, and cluster around her – like little magnetic bumper cars – as she brought them to safety.

I have stayed away from that area since. But, one day early this week, I did see the now even smaller family – three offspring – in the same section of reeds. Here’s how they are looking. I watched them for half an hour, hoping to see a fourth duckling, but no such luck.

I shot several pictures of the Heron and moved closer more than once for a better view. While I contemplated actively scaring it off, to my relief, it decided my presence was enough of a deterrent and it flew off.

While I’d been wondering if the turtles were snatching the babies, a neighbor suggested it was the Heron. I think my neighbor is right.