We Lost Our Duck

Late Sunday night I went outside to check on the duck because it was raining so hard that the yard was flooding. She was huddled under the plants, being pelted by rain, but diligently tending her eggs. The next morning I went out early to check on her. I usually just check on her from the porch, but there were flowers missing from where she usually is, so I went closer to look and she was gone. So were her eggs. So were most of her feathers that had protected the nest.

I'm so sad that she's gone and that we don't know what happened. I don't think the ducklings hatched because there were no egg remnants, it doesn't seem likely that she moved them, and if she had been attacked it seems like there would have been signs of a struggle or pieces of eggs. Sad. I loved that duck. I checked on her a dozen times a day and couldn't wait for the babies to hatch. Wherever she is, by some crazy chance, I hope she and her babies are okay.