FAMILY OF DUCKS MAKE ANNUAL TRIP FORM BALCONY TO RIVER

A group of ducklings have made the annual nail-biting journey from a balcony to the River Cart in Glasgow - even stopping off at the post office en-route.

The mallards have become a well-known attraction for the people of Shawlands, with the baby ducks being snapped diving from the balcony to meet mother duck below again this year.

Though this seems like a hugely dangerous behaviour, it is completely normal for ducks and has been spotted in this part of Glasgow for over a decade, earning the title 'The Trefoil Ducks', named after their Trefoil Avenue home.

After leaping from the fourth-floor balcony to the road below, the family set off on their voyage to the river with members of the public making sure they completed the trip safely.

A local managed to capture a number of images of the latest edition of this odyssey on camera on Tuesday.

One image shows a member of the public following the feathered family close by, stopping traffic along the way - but before they reached their destination, the proud mum led her children to a nearby post office for a look around.

The feathered parade then made it successfully to the river before paddling away downstream.

The local who took the photos said: 'A giant leap of faith for the famous Trefoil Ducks.

'Mother and ducklings making their way to the River Cart via the local post office, avoiding the traffic in Kilmarnock Road, Coustonholm Road and potholes in Ettrick Place to make the successful leap to the river below.'

The Facebook post has racked up 850 reactions so far, delighting social media users. Many residents were quick to take to the comment section.

One said: 'Aw just amazing.Fantastic to see this mother duck trust humans every year to come back to the same place and have her babies. Long may it continue.'

Another added: 'Glad to see this amazing annual event went smoothly again.'

The Trefoil Ducks were first discovered four years ago when Theresa Clancy and her husband Vincent moved into their new Southside flat and thought they had adopted a pet duck.

Theresa told the Glasgow Times in 2022 that the ducks' annual pilgrimage is 'amazing but nerve-wracking'.

After learning the tradition, the couple put little wooden steps out for the babies once they hatch.

Pet shop Fur’n’Feathers take a leading roll in insuring the safety of the creatures, stepping in some years to rescue ducklings who get lost.

2024-07-11T16:26:25Z dg43tfdfdgfd