Duck Dilemma

Well, yikes. So now I have a duck with 13 eggs and that duck maybe a species of duck on the "watch list" for potentially endangered ducks....

Of course, I am not a duck expert. But looking on the internet, and knowing by sight they are not typical Mallard Ducks, they do look like Florida Mottled Ducks -- which are on the "watch list" for a species that is potentially endangered....

So, I talked with Hillary (my vet and friend) and she suggested calling Suncoast Seabird which is a rescue group and I did that today and they referred me to Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission which I called and talked to a nice guy and told me if in fact they are Mottled Ducks (a potentially endangered species) -- don't touch them, don't feed, don't do anything --- let mama duck just do her thing and then asked me to send pictures which I did (haven't heard back yet) so he could verify if they are in fact Mottled Ducks or some other duck...  Weird thing is if they are NOT Mottled Ducks I could actually get a permit to have them removed but if they are --- don't touch, don't do anything --- 

He also told me, if they are Mottled Ducks,  to put a fence around my pool so ducklings don't get into it ---- ???? and I'm like what? and how?

And said leave gates open (after I said my yard is fenced in) to let mama duck take her babies away ---

and I'm thinking, jeepers, the nearest pond/lake/natural environment is over half a mile away and how is this duck gonna make it across some very busy streets with a row of little ducklings  --  plus I have dog! so open gates, I mean, you know.. anyway

Oh by the way, I named mama duck Louise ----  after one of my all time favorite movies Thelma and Louise ---

But jeepers --- this is turning into a Duck Dilemma

I was really hoping some agency could just come and get them and take them away to a safe environment....

Pool guy was here today to clean pool and I warned about Louise and he was good about it but she did come out and swim around the pool, watching him carefully -- so cute!

But omg -- what to do? And now my pool of "off limits" to both Kona (esp. Kona) and me --- yikes

Louise