This quacked feathered friend has cried fowl of the usual nesting spots, to make a hanging basket dangling over the River Fergus her home.
And it appears that the duck is quackers about its new residence on the Mill Road Bridge in Ennis. The hanging basket had been due to be moved by Clare County Council’s gardening section, who were surprised to see that it had a new resident nestled among the flowers.
The basket will now remain in place until the female duck decides it is time to leave, the local authority has confirmed.
Brendan Keogh, a gardener with the council’s gardening section, explained, “The duck had nested in one of the hanging baskets close to the mill on the Mill Road Bridge. Clare County Council’s gardening section was relocating the baskets for the summer season when the nesting bird was spotted. The bird and the basket in question will be left in situ.”
While the bird has been attracting some attention from curious onlookers in recent days, Bev Truss of the Hogsprickle Wildlife Rescue has urged people not to disturb the animal.
She explained it is likely that ducklings could hatch in the near future and that the mother should be left to rear her young in peace, otherwise the fledglings could be at risk.
“I would advise people to leave the duck alone. If she is sitting in the nest there could be ducklings on the way and she needs to be left alone and not be bothered. What will happen when they hatch is that the ducklings will need to get to the water and she will lead them there.
“If somebody disturbs them, then the mother could abandon them and ducklings do not do well without the mama duck. So it is best to just leave them until the mother is finished bringing up her family,” she said.
By Jessica Quinn
A native of Ennis, Colin McGann has been editor of The Clare Champion since August 2020. Former editor of The Clare People, he is a journalism and communications graduate of Dublin Institute of Technology.