Mother duck with fourteen nippers, originally uploaded by :Duncan.

On Friday we moved the mother and sixteen ducklings that we knew about out to the sunken garden at the school. Then this one was suddenly here this morning. She’d been behind another bush and managed not to be seen nesting these weeks. Of course, this family will have to be moved too, because there is not enough food in the small courtyard, and as they get bigger, the poop is noticeable. But while they are here, they are so much fun to watch on a break from work. It took them about half an hour to learn to climb the plank out of the pond. Even after watching their siblings do it, some were still leaping at the wall and bouncing back into the water. By mid afternoon, they had all learnt the way back up to mother.