Victory Ducks
I'm driving home from Fidelity Investments in Woodland Hills today about 1p. I'm heading east on Victory and coming up on Balboa. I’m having to stop at the light at the exit to the school parking lot cause there’s this big-ass SUV very slowly making a left turn outta the lot. And oddly some soccer mom walking w/ the SUV. Once I stop at the intersection, I saw that her and the truck were trying to herd a gaggle of ducklings across the street to Lake Balboa.
Unfortunately the ducks decided that the best place to be was under the SUV. It was pretty hot out and they were trying to get outta the sun. So the SUV stopped, driver got out and he and the soccer mom walked around the truck trying to figure out how to get the ducks.
OK. I’ll be part of the solution.
I’m in the front row in the center lane so I just pull out. Park in the red zone across from the school and ask if they’d like some help. Hispanic guy, who’d just arrived, told me they were trying to herd the ducks.
I laid down in the street to see where the ducks were and sure enough, they’d planted themselves right in the center of the truck tween the front wheels. Could not reach them. So I stuck my leg under the truck hoping to use my big, scary, stompy boots to scare them or herd them out the other side of the SUV where everyone else was. Ducks moved alright. Right towards my leg and they all huddled at my ankle on the top side of the boot. These were TINY little things and I was really worried re: crushing them so I lifted my leg, pivoted and crawled under the SUV. Lot’s of room under those things. The ducks first followed the leg then headed towards me. I put my left arm around them and scooped out from under then picked up seven of them. Tiny little things. Hispanic guy was right there w/ a box that I dumped them in.
He also had a paint roller handle for duck wrangling. I got custody of the box ducks. Then he a soccer mom quickly got the first of the two remaining wayward ducks.
Victory east bound had turned into a huge traffic jam. Parking enforcement and an Asian lady showed up while I was under the SUV to help w/ the duck rodeo. I was surprised that parking enforcement was really cool re: the situation and tried to help.
The last little guy was spastic and fast. Poor little duck was probably terrified. Soccer mom said that momma duck had just been killed, I assume by a car when she was trying to cross the street. Soccer mom must have seen it happen and went to help the ducklings. So all six of us were trying to catch this speedy little duck. I was also keeping the other 8 from jumping outta the box. Couple of times he bolted towards the other westbound side of Victory which was still moving at regular traffic speeds. Me and the driver were able to cut him off both times. Finally he bolted for the Lake Balboa side of the street. He got tween the curb and my car, that was when Hispanic guy caught him.
I handed the box ‘o ducks over to soccer mom. She was just going to take them over to Lake Balboa and turn them lose but fortunately Asian lady convinced her that the ducklings would just come back here looking for momma. Told her that the best thing to do was to take them to a shelter over on Van Nuys.
Sorry but I didn’t get any pics. I spent the whole time either crawling under a car or holding a box of birds. And after it was over, parking enforcement started getting official and getting those of us who’d been parked illegally to get moving. I’m sure people stuck back behind White Oak were pissed.
9 ducklings rescued by 6 random strangers. All is well.
Unfortunately the ducks decided that the best place to be was under the SUV. It was pretty hot out and they were trying to get outta the sun. So the SUV stopped, driver got out and he and the soccer mom walked around the truck trying to figure out how to get the ducks.
OK. I’ll be part of the solution.
I’m in the front row in the center lane so I just pull out. Park in the red zone across from the school and ask if they’d like some help. Hispanic guy, who’d just arrived, told me they were trying to herd the ducks.
I laid down in the street to see where the ducks were and sure enough, they’d planted themselves right in the center of the truck tween the front wheels. Could not reach them. So I stuck my leg under the truck hoping to use my big, scary, stompy boots to scare them or herd them out the other side of the SUV where everyone else was. Ducks moved alright. Right towards my leg and they all huddled at my ankle on the top side of the boot. These were TINY little things and I was really worried re: crushing them so I lifted my leg, pivoted and crawled under the SUV. Lot’s of room under those things. The ducks first followed the leg then headed towards me. I put my left arm around them and scooped out from under then picked up seven of them. Tiny little things. Hispanic guy was right there w/ a box that I dumped them in.
He also had a paint roller handle for duck wrangling. I got custody of the box ducks. Then he a soccer mom quickly got the first of the two remaining wayward ducks.
Victory east bound had turned into a huge traffic jam. Parking enforcement and an Asian lady showed up while I was under the SUV to help w/ the duck rodeo. I was surprised that parking enforcement was really cool re: the situation and tried to help.
The last little guy was spastic and fast. Poor little duck was probably terrified. Soccer mom said that momma duck had just been killed, I assume by a car when she was trying to cross the street. Soccer mom must have seen it happen and went to help the ducklings. So all six of us were trying to catch this speedy little duck. I was also keeping the other 8 from jumping outta the box. Couple of times he bolted towards the other westbound side of Victory which was still moving at regular traffic speeds. Me and the driver were able to cut him off both times. Finally he bolted for the Lake Balboa side of the street. He got tween the curb and my car, that was when Hispanic guy caught him.
I handed the box ‘o ducks over to soccer mom. She was just going to take them over to Lake Balboa and turn them lose but fortunately Asian lady convinced her that the ducklings would just come back here looking for momma. Told her that the best thing to do was to take them to a shelter over on Van Nuys.
Sorry but I didn’t get any pics. I spent the whole time either crawling under a car or holding a box of birds. And after it was over, parking enforcement started getting official and getting those of us who’d been parked illegally to get moving. I’m sure people stuck back behind White Oak were pissed.
9 ducklings rescued by 6 random strangers. All is well.