What Happened To Little Straggler?

Yesterday I wrote about a little duckling, Little Straggler, who got left behind in our church courtyard when his mama and the rest of her newly hatched flock left the area.

We ended up catching Little Straggler and putting him in a box in my office because he was crying, non-stop, and we were concerned that a hawk or a cat or some other animal would get him because of all the noise he was making.  In fact, a cat rang the buzzer at the front door of the church and tried to fool me by wearing a suit and sunglasses.  But I knew better and didn’t let him in.

We debated what we were going to do with Little Straggler.  Several people left comments suggesting that I was, now, his mother.  One person even told me that as Little Straggler’s mother, I needed to chew up worms to feed him.  But we have to draw some lines, somewhere, don’t we?  The little guy is cute but, come on!

Well, fortunately, Ann from our church came and took Little Straggler to a nearby farm where he was put in an incubator (I think that’s what Ann told me) with several other newly hatched ducklings.  Maybe it wasn’t an incubator.  I can’t remember for sure.  I think that’s what she told me.  Are there incubator’s for ducklings?  If there aren’t, there should be, doggone it!

Ann said that the other little ducklings seemed to immediately accept Little Straggler into their duck society.  So, Little Straggler is fine.  He’s living on a farm.  Someone else is chewing up worms for him to eat.  And a very sad ending was averted.

Although there are some cats and hawks in our neighborhood roaming around today saying, “Thanks a lot, Mr. Nature Boy!  What about us?  We’re still really hungry.”

The Plight of Little Straggler

I hear the sad, high pitched cry of a little baby duckling in the courtyard outside my window.

Let me explain…

A mama duck comes every spring and lays her eggs in our courtyard.  When the eggs hatch, Ann from our church, opens up doorways in the church building so that the mama can get her little flock out of the courtyard—where there is no food or water—to the greater outdoors.  When they get out of the courtyard they usually head straight for McDonalds.

This morning all the little ducklings got out with their mama except one who straggled and didn’t get out with the rest of the group.  Ann caught the little straggler and took him outside to reunite him with his mama and siblings but by then they were gone.  She looked high and low but couldn’t find them.

Not knowing where else to put him, Ann, put Little Straggler (that’s my name for him, now, “Little Straggler”) back in the courtyard.

So here I sit listening to Little Straggler crying.  (That’s Little Straggler in the photo.)

I’ve stuck my head out the window several times and said to him, “You have to be quiet.  Your noise is going to attract something that will want to eat you.”  But he doesn’t listen to me.  (It’s almost as if he doesn’t speak English.)  In fact, I thought he would at least get scared and be quiet while I was talking.  But he doesn’t.  While I’m telling him to be quiet, he keeps crying.

If you’re thinking, “Oh no.  Poor Little Straggler.  I feel so sad for him.”

Good.

I’m feeling sorry for the little guy and I wanted a few others to join in with me.

NOTE:  I’ll keep you all updated on Little Straggler’s status.