Ducklings

As I crept up to the edge of the pond, I saw a hint of ripples spreading away from the high bank. Readying the camera, I inched closer, then froze when I saw the mallard ducklings, who then saw me. For a moment they froze, then mom took over, lunging for the open water and away from the shallows where she had been instructing them on dabbling, or nibbling on the bottom green scum at water's edge.
With singular purpose she herded them out in a tight cluster, then she took the lead, vanishing into the dense grasses at the far edge of the pond.