Charlotte Observer, The (NC)
1995-06-13
Section: METRO
Edition: ONE - FOUR
Page: 1C

MAKING WAY FOR DUCKLINGS

DEBORAH PARKHILL MULLIS, Staff Writer

Mama mallard and her newly hatched family of ducklings cruised the pond at Marshall Park under cloudy skies Monday.

They spent the weekend settling in after their self-appointed caretaker, Amos Hucks, helped mama and her nine ducklings make the move Friday afternoon. 

A few weeks ago, Hucks, a security supervisor at Old City Hall, discovered the mallard nest under a holly bush near the building and decided to keep an eye on the mama and her 10 eggs. Several times, he saw the mallard wing her way over to the pond at Marshall Park, tucking in her precious eggs with a layer of duck down so they'd stay warm.

When Hucks got to work at 8 a.m. Friday, five ducklings had broken free of their eggshells. By lunchtime, four more had emerged. The tenth never hatched.

From the moment he began his duck watch, Hucks began to worry about how the babies would safely cross 4th Street, then 3rd, to get to the Marshall Park pond. He'd entertained the idea of relocating theducks to a lake outside the city, but when he saw the ducks Friday, he knew mama mallard was ready to move.

``She'd taken them out of the nest and on to the concrete walk . . . they were heading toward 4th Street,'' said Hucks.

He decided not to let the ducklings risk uptown Charlotte traffic. He gathered them into a cardboard box and carried them to Marshall Park. As Hucks walked across 4th and 3rd, mama mallard waddled behind him.

At the park, Hucks tilted the box and let the ducklings slip into the water. ``Away they went,'' he said.