A Yorkshire couple who hand-reared a day-old duckling before releasing her to the wild were left stunned when she returned to their home six months later - with 11 chicks. Phil Garner, 67, took the tiny mallard under his wing after finding her abandoned on a fishing lake, before bringing her back to his wife Julia Garner, 66, in his coat pocket.
The ex-freight train driver said the bird, who they named Freda, was partially potty trained after she came to live in their three-bed house in April 2021.
And the couple, from Allerton Bywater in Leeds, even took turns sleeping by the “demanding” bird’s bed while feeding her on a £40 diet of grubs until she flew the nest last October.
But they were amazed when she then re-appeared on their doorstep in April with a male “boyfriend” duck - who they nicknamed Fred.
A few months later, they spotted her coming up their drive with her newly hatched brood of ducklings, who have now once again taken up residence in their garden.
