The Duck Roundup. 

On Wednesday I had an interesting experience.  I volunteer at the Aquarium in the afternoon.  Skywatch was having a duck roundup at 10.  All I had to do was wave my arms. It would be quick. I figured I could wear my aquarium clothes to the roundup and go right to the aquarium. I wasn’t sure what a duck roundup was, but if it were quick and easy, I was all for it. 

Duke Energy has an easement to run their high tension (high voltage) power lines. Just north of Wilmington there was a pond on their easement with some wild muscovy ducks. They were fine with that but changed their minds.  Some bird people built a covered fenced-in area and herded the ducks into it.  They provided the ducks with water and feed until they could be moved. 

This was moving day.  The plan was remove a few vertical fence planks, back the rental truck up to the fence and lower the ramp.  The ducks would be herded up to the ramp, they would march up the ramp, and, easy as pie, the job would be done. We took off the fence planks and backed up the truck.  One of the fence cross-beams blocked the ramp.  We tried pulling the truck away a bit so the ramp would go under the beam. but that left too many openings for the ducks to escape. 

The final plan (B, or C, or D), was to back the truck up to the fence opening (no ramp) and block the part under the truck. We would catch the ducks by hand and put them in the truck. Lowering the truck door until it was open a foot or so and a person with a net on each side of the opening kept the ducks from escaping,  I was to stand at the opening with a net and gently prod the ducks to move to the front of the truck. 

Ducks, especially wild ducks, don't like to be picked up and tossed into trucks.  They can be quite the escape artists and sneaky.  Male muscovy ducks have claws on their webbed feet.  I got a few scratches but those doing the catching got more. It was exciting.  

I had to leave for the Aquarium when we were about 3/4 done. I was quite muddy so I stopped at home, took a quick shower, and went wearing an old white Aquarium t-shirt. 

(When you first start volunteering at the aquarium you are issued a white t-shirt with the Aquarium logo. After you have worked a certain number of hours (50 or 100, or something. — I forget) you are issued a blue polo with the logo. It was my only clean blue shirt that I was wearing to the roundup.  I put on one of the old t-shirts.) 

The head of the volunteers took pity on me and gave me another blue shirt. 

 The Roundup job eventually got done and the ducks were driven to their new home.  I heard later that after all the fuss getting them in the truck, they didn't want to leave the truck and had to be manually ejected!  Honestly, some creatures! 

It all worked out, but not quite by plan.