05.11.2011 The 18 ducklings

A flock of striped fluffy down-feather balls

Father duck supervising the chicks on the banks of the Avon.

Their residence is on the grass strip along Park Terrace,

between the road and the river - which again is cut by a cycleway.

It is a real danger zone. But undeterred they keep on grazing.

On this photo the ducklings are about five days old.

I first saw them on November 1st or 2nd and have been visiting them ever since.

I have met a lot of people who care about them.

I bet they are Christchurch's best-fed ducks.

Whenever I talk to passers-by or residents of the retirement village across the street,

everyone starts counting and checking if a duckling has gone missing.

People who do not care about them mostly are dog owners who let their dogs run free.

Some ducklings have been killed by dogs on land and in the river, other by large eels in the Avon,

cars or cyclists who do not lower their speed despite knowing that the ducklings were around.