In Walnut Creek, one mother hen is proving the exception to the old saying, "birds of a feather flock together." This hen has adopted a nest of eggs that will hatch birds of a very different feather - ducks.
Volunteers with Just for Ducks, an organization affiliated with the Mt. Diablo Audubon Society, placed boxes around the city to provide safe places for the duck eggs to hatch. Nine ducklings have hatched from one box on Tice Creek Dr., and the hen continues to incubate the remaining eggs.
According to local naturalist and Just for Ducks member Brian Murphy, after the ducklings hatch, they will be in the creek with their mother in less than 24 hours. At that point, Just for Ducks will refill the boxes with fresh wood shavings for nesting and wait for more eggs to be laid in the box. The group is curious to see if the hen will incubate the next round of eggs.
