Duckling Rescue Attempt

I was about to make a left turn at the corner of gray and 146th street when a momma duck and her TINY babies started to cross over the 4 lane road. I stopped in the middle to ensure no one would pass and they would make their way safely across. Once they reached the south side of 146th street, momma hopped up onto the curb, but her poor babies were too little to make the jump. They proceeded to walk along side her in the road and crossed over a storm drain – it was like a movie in slow motion with Dr. Mary yelling from her vehicle: “Nooooooo!”
I made the left turn, quickly parked at the bank and ran across 146th street to the storm drain where I heard tiny little peeps calling out for their momma. I ran into a nearby landscaping company like a madwoman, told the staff rapidly what had happened and asked if they had anything we could use to retrieve the babies. They followed me out to the drain and I desperately reached through the grates to grab the babies. It was quite a site I am sure – Dr. Mary laying facedown on 146th street with her left arm shoved in a drain hole making peeping sounds after the babies lol!

I continued my effort until the staff member gently advised me that I was making him very nervous by my actions as the dump trucks sped past my right arm. I offered to return with better equipment.
I arrived shortly back on the scene with a pool net and found the police department already there trying to get a hold of officials to remove the drain cover. My pool net was too large to fit through the opening – soooo, a trip to a bait and tackle store was next!
I bought a tiny pink net to fit through the drain and a larger blanket net to set at the bottom.

My third trip back was very disheartening. Someone had already come and removed the cover to find the baby ducks had fallen and their was no way to retrieve them. It was very very sad.
I came back home feeling defeated, but was able to laugh at the fact that I am quite certain everyone at the bank, the landscaping company, and the bait and tackle shop now believe I am certifiably insane lol! Oh well, I tried – and I will certainly have the bruises on my arms, belly and legs to prove it:)