Rescued sewage work eggs hatch into five ducklings

Five unborn ducklings rescued at a sewage works are thriving thanks to a family who took them under their wing.

Workers James Blakesley and Josh Corderoy saw a nest of eggs floating on the surface during a routine job at Totnes sewage treatment works in Devon.

Blakesley said they padded out a rubble sack and tethered it to rope so it would float, before using a sample pole to gently nudge the eggs into the bag. "It was a miracle that none of them broke," he said.

Six of the seven eggs hatched, and five ducklings survived. They are now growing well and have settled into family life at his home.

Blakesley, a catchment technician with South West Water, said the pair could not believe it when they saw the nest. He explained that they had just got their equipment out to start maintenance work.

The nest had been resting on floating matter and was at risk of toppling over and being destroyed, he said, adding: "We knew we needed to act quickly to save the eggs."

All seven eggs were safely recovered and Blakesley took them home to incubate.

The five survivors were now growing well and had been swimming in a paddling pool, he said.

"My daughter loves them and wanted to give them a home in her playhouse, so we repurposed it to let them roam outside during the warmer weather," he said.

"When the ducklings are older, we'll move them into a larger indoor enclosure before eventually settling them into an old chicken coop next to our stream and pond.

"We're hoping they'll make full use of the streams and ponds around our garden as they continue to grow and be right at home by the water.

"It's amazing to see how far they have come in the last few weeks."

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