Heading 'down' town

It would appear that our down-covered friends have left us...

Apologies for the error that I made in my previous report on the Urmston Grammar duck story.  As can clearly be seen, in the accompanying shot, there are actually eight ducklings (not seven).  Numeracy was never my strong point!

However, Mum and her brood do appear to have left the premises.  There was no sign of them on-site on Friday morning.  However, site-manager, Mr. Whitehurst, did spot a minor traffic jam in Urmston on Thursday evening.  On investigating, he discovered that the cars had come to a standstill as the intrepid mother was leading her ducklings across the road.  Further investigation revealed that the mother - now with seven ducklings - has taken refuge in a back garden of an undisclosed Urmston residence.  One can only speculate on the whereabouts of the ninth member of the family.

Mr. Whitehurst, like all of us, has been saddened by the apparent disappearance of the eighth chick.  Mr. Whitehurst had kept vigil over the mother duck while she was waiting for her chicks to hatch, and made the school's pond as hospitable an environment for the family of mallards as possible, even putting in place a short plank as a makeshift ramp to facilitate easy entrance to and exit from the pond for the little ones.  He's naturally feeling a little down in the mouth over their exodus from UGS.

Let's hope their new home proves just as welcoming!