On my own
This little wood duck duckling got separated from its family. It got under the fence around a fish pond at the Columbia Springs hatchery, and must have fallen in and not been able to get out. It's not in dire straights, however. There are a couple of logs it can climb onto in the middle of the pond, and it was actively feeding on duckweed and catching little flying insects (I'd never seen a duck do that before). There is netting above it to keep predatory birds like herons from getting the fish that will also keep this little one protected. The good folks at the hatchery know it's there, and I suppose they will try to locate the mother and reunite the family. But it's not in distress. Vancouver, Washington. Addendum: I have been told this is not a mallard duckling, but rather a Wood Duck duckling. Thanks to zooadmin
On my own
This little wood duck duckling got separated from its family. It got under the fence around a fish pond at the Columbia Springs hatchery, and must have fallen in and not been able to get out. It's not in dire straights, however. There are a couple of logs it can climb onto in the middle of the pond, and it was actively feeding on duckweed and catching little flying insects (I'd never seen a duck do that before). There is netting above it to keep predatory birds like herons from getting the fish that will also keep this little one protected. The good folks at the hatchery know it's there, and I suppose they will try to locate the mother and reunite the family. But it's not in distress. Vancouver, Washington. Addendum: I have been told this is not a mallard duckling, but rather a Wood Duck duckling. Thanks to zooadmin