walking the duck

walking the duck 2007This is from the "That's the Weirdest Thing I've Ever Seen" file...

I was cutting through Wellington Square as usual on my walk, when I happened to notice this couple walking in from the side, followed by a small white shape, which I quickly realised was a duck (or maybe a goose... but I think it's a duck)... it was the weirdest thing... they were just walking along normally and this duck was running along behind them, right up on their heels...

Originally I wondered if they knew it was there, because neither of them seemed to be paying it any attention, then the guy looked back behind him, so I figured they knew it was there. When they crossed the path I just had to say something, so I asked if I could take a photo... and when they stopped, the duck stopped, and they all just stood there and posed for me before going merrily on their way again.

I'm assuming that they weren't all going off somewhere together... well, except maybe to wait for the bus, then I think the guy and his duck would be headed home again... although I could be wrong.

But it's not exactly something you see every day, people taking their duck for a walk...

Update: I emailed the photo to Ma this morning and she just emailed me back saying that it looked like an Indian Runner Duck, which a quick check of Wikipedia seems to back up... not that I knew there actually was such a thing...

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8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Here's an eery story for you. With a bag of corn-nuts (they're basically toasted corn kernals), I tripped and stumbled onto the ground spilling them. Within seconds, ducks and pigeons came charging my way. I was so scared. I knew they weren't gonna kill me but still, the image of half a dozen animals squawking and charging at me instilled fear.

About 3 weeks later, I walked thru the same park when several of the ducks got out of the water and started shadowing me from a distance. This time, I didn't give them a chance. I just took off running. Eery thing is, I didn't even have any food on me. It's as if they remembered, "that's the guy with the corn-nuts!"

yani said...

Interestingly enough I had something of a similar experience with the black swans at the river this morning... I stopped where there were a couple of the bank and a bunch in the water to feed them some bread I'd taken with me for just such a thing... and before I knew it they were advancing on me with their big long necks and little beady eyes... well, not all of them, but there was one who was definitely getting up in my face about it...

Tom said...

I first read this and saw the picture when I got home about four hours ago... and it has been bugging me ever since... I'm sure there's a film with a duck just like that, and I think you've unwittingly recreated the film poster... but can't for the life of me remember what it was called! The duck talks by the way, and there might have been a pig too! (It was a long time ago!)

Anonymous said...

^^^
I think Tom's gone nutsy-koo koo since Jerry left.

I kidd I kidd!

yani said...

Tom, you're not talking about Babe are you? I'm pretty sure the duck in that was an IRD... and it had a talking pig... of course the poster looks nothing like that...

Or could you be thinking of Fly Away Home? But then, that's geese, not ducks...

Tom said...

No, I think I'm just terminally confused. Just ignore me! :)

Larry said...

That's awesome :) Although it points out the amazing differences between the American duck and it's Australian counterpart. To me that looks like a malnurished seagull, I'm just saying :)

yani said...

LOL... well actually it's not an Australian duck, it's originally from "the Indian-sub-continent and Malaysia"... so, make of that what you will...