... and then there was one?

Well not quite ...

Arrived at the Chinese Gardens for my weekly duty as a volunteer to find a mother duck and her 5 babies paddling in the moat around the front entrance. So cute they were scudding across the water looking for food and peeping to mum.

An hour later I heard a peeping and looked out the door and there was Mum duck with three babies waddling in the back door and making for the lake. I checked for the other two but nowhere to be seen...

Then a message from the front gate for me to find the gardener and let him know there was a dead duckling floating lifeless in the moat and could he please fish it out before visitors got upset. Duly done but that left just one wee duckling alone in the moat. It seemed quite happy working hard to feed itself and not in the least bit concerned for the whereabouts of it's siblings or mother. It was still there when I left and I just keep imagining that it will grow up to be a strong example of the adage "survival of the fittest"

So this image maybe of the one who died or the one who chose to go it alone or one of the three enjoying the lake - which ever it is so cute!