July 25, 2025 brought one of the most touching moments of the season. In a quiet side stream, faint cries of ducklings echoed through the dense vegetation. At first, I thought they belonged to the Ke family, but something about their urgent tone felt different.
For several minutes, the two abandoned ducklings called out, their small voices carrying a sense of desperation. Suddenly, a duck flew into the thicket. The grass swayed, and then—reunion! The mother appeared, gathering her little ones with soft quacks. When she stepped into the light, I realized it was not Ke at all. It was オf2-19, returning after a 15-day absence.
This was the same family that moved with eight ducklings on July 9, then disappeared after the small water gate incident on July 10. Now, only two remain, but to see them alive and reunited was a gift. The likely explanation is that they climbed the small water gate and spent these days upstream, hidden in the dense summer vegetation.
Later in the day, Tf8-49 showed another kind of parental love. One of the eight ducklings lagged behind during a crossing, and the mother calmly waited until the straggler caught up. It was a simple scene, yet full of quiet tenderness.
Other sightings included the proud Cf family with two 74-day-old ducklings still following their mother, the elusive Uf1-45 surviving in its hidden pond territory, and young sparrows and bulbuls bathing in the summer heat.
The day was a reminder of how fragile and resilient life is. To hear the cries of abandoned ducklings and witness their reunion with their patient mother is something I will not forget.
2025年7月25日、今季もっとも胸を打たれる瞬間に立ち会いました。静かな支流に響く小さな鳴き声。最初はケf親子かと思いましたが、その緊急時特有の高い声に違和感を覚えました。
しばらくの間、2羽の置き去り雛が必死に母を呼び続けます。しかし姿は見えません。やがて1羽のカモが茂みに飛び込み、草が揺れ…そして、感動の再会。母が現れ、雛を優しく迎え入れました。光の中に出てきたその母は、ケfではなくオf2-19。15日ぶりの再会でした。
7月9日に8羽で引っ越し、翌10日には小水門での落下事故を最後に姿を消した家族。雛は2羽に減ってしまっていましたが、それでも生き延びてくれていました。おそらく小水門を登って上流で隠れていたのでしょう。
同じ日、Tf8-49ではまた別の愛情が見られました。川を横断中に1羽の子カモが遅れてしまい、母はじっと待ち続けて合流させました。派手さはないものの、親の優しさがよく伝わるシーンでした。
そのほか、Cf組の74日目の若カモ2羽、隠れ場所を好むUf1-45の無事も確認。夏の水辺でスズメやヒヨドリが水浴びを楽しむ姿にも癒やされました。
置き去り雛の鳴き声、そして母との再会。水辺の小さな命が織りなす奇跡の一瞬を記録できた、忘れられない一日になりました。
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