So some months back Carmen said there was a duck living across the street in some boulevard shrubs. I scoffed. Then I went and looked and found an empty nest. So I told her there was a duck but it was gone.

Then she saw the duck again. So I looked. Now there was a duck in the nest.

Then I looked again and there was an empty nest with an egg or two in it.

Then there was a duck.

Then there was a nest with what looked like three eggs in it.

And then there was no duck.

And still no duck.

You have to understand, this was early June. Ducklings should have been hatched and gone. I figured it was a young mom and she’d given up. Carmen, on the other hand, had faith.

Then one day before we left to go sailing momma was discovered back on her nest. The next issue was that while they were a couple of hundred yards away from our not-yet-completed lake, it was highly likely, according to C’s research, that she would be heading for papa duck and Lake Beaumaris which was way down the block and across the busy 153 ave. C then determined to be there for the expedition to ensure no ducks were harmed.

So when we returned I asked and C said that as of 2 days earlier there had been a duck on a nest. I went and checked and there was no duck. There was, however, multiple shell fragments. I reported the happy news and it was hoped for that Momma and babies had managed to survive, but there was some scepticism and uncertainty.

So about a week after I got back C and I cruised by the edge of Beaumaris on the way to the Sobey’s and, as was our wont,  we stopped by to greet the local waterfowl. There were the usual bunch of ducks, now with their mostly feathered teenagers floating around and begging for bread, but there was this one family, Papa up on the hill, Mama at water’s edge, two tiny ducklings tucked in beneath and one brave baby out and about paddling for all it’s little yellow down was worth. So what are the odds that there would be a late family of exactly three ducks at our end of Beaumaris and them not being our ducks. It was decided that was definitely zero percent.

So, let me introduce to you, our first Greisbach duck family. Long may they paddle!