An Unusual Guard by the Pathway
A mottled brown hen duck shifted her orange webbed feet along the edge of a paved walking path, craning her neck toward an approaching stroller.
She let out a rhythmic series of low, raspy quacks, tilting her head to fix one dark eye on the figure walking beneath the tall trees.
Instead of scuttling into the grass or fluttering toward the pond shimmering in the background, she stayed planted beside a thick heap of dried autumn leaves.
Her chest feathers puffed slightly with every call, her bill opening and snapping shut as the footsteps drew nearer.
The woman slowed her pace along the asphalt, adjusting her footing as the bird refused to back away.
She stopped just inches from the foliage, dropping down into a low squat to bring herself level with the duck’s eye line.
Careful Hands in the Foliage
The woman extended both palms toward the crisp brown oak leaves, moving slowly enough to avoid startling the bird.
The duck leaned forward, tapping her yellow bill lightly against the rim of the leaf pile while keeping her eyes fixed on the woman’s fingers.
Her tail feathers flicked back and forth in quick, jerky motions as the woman’s fingertips gently brushed against the brittle, crinkled edges.
Neither made a sudden jerk.
The woman curled her fingers into the top layer, parting the stems and lifting away a handful of decayed brown foliage.
She set the leaves to the side, peering into the dark hollow created beneath the mounded drift.
The duck took half a step closer, nudging the woman’s wrist with the side of her bill before settling back on her heels.
A Hidden Secret Revealed
The woman parted the deep layers further, sliding her hands outward to widen the opening inside the leaf pile.
Down in the center of the leafy nest, tucked into a cozy indentation against the cold ground, rested a tiny duckling covered in soft down.
Its small bill pointed upward, blinking through dark eye stripes as daylight filtered down through the cleared canopy of leaves.
The woman held her hands still on either side of the nest opening, keeping the leaf walls from tumbling inward.
The chick shifted its tiny webbed feet, settling deeper into the brittle hollow under the shade of the woman’s palms.
Above the opening, the mother duck dipped her bill downward, nudging a stray brown leaf away from the chick’s downy back.
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