May19
Banker Saves Ducklings From Free-Fall--Again
Posted at 03:43 PM | Permalink
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Comments (16)
The "duck man" is at it again. Last year, around this time, a news story about Washington banker Joel Armstrong, who caught ducklings as they leapt off an overhang, made the rounds on the Internet. This year, mama duck—dubbed "Amelia Duckheart" by bank staff—chose the same not-so-great place to hatch her brood, and Joel leapt into action again.
For a little over a month, Joel had been watching the nest, which is located on an overhang outside his office window.
Over the weekend, this year's brood hatched and found themselves in the same ugly situation as last year's—they were faced with having to jump from the dangerously high ledge down to the ground where their mother sat waiting.
Being an old hand at this, Joel was able to catch each duckling in mid-leap. He then escorted Amelia and her babies to the nearby Spokane River as a crowd of admiring bystanders cheered them on.
Talk about lucky ducks!
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Posted by Jennifer Cerlitsky
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aw .. that's so sweet...!
Posted by: yv | May 19, 2009 05:01 PM
What a sweet man. Great story.
Posted by: Aneliese | May 19, 2009 05:30 PM
It's nice that he cares to help the ducklings, but ducklings are designed by nature to survive falls like this. In the wild, mother ducks and geese often nest on steep, rocky cliffs. The babies jump and for the most part just bounce off the ground when they land. I spent a month this spring watching the Contra Costa Ca goosecam--a mother goose has made her nest on the roof of the newspaper four years in a row--the babies always make it safely to the ground when they jump off. It is heartstopping to watch, though!!
Posted by: Kelley | May 19, 2009 06:29 PM
Perhaps Mama Duck knows that while this is not the ideal home, it has two things to recommend it: it appears to be safe from predators and there is a loving, kind human nearby.
Posted by: Rev. Meg Schramm | May 19, 2009 06:54 PM
Joel Armstrong is a man who personifies compassion in action via safeguarding these innocent and sentient ducklings. Bank on it !!!
Posted by: Brien Comerford | May 19, 2009 08:20 PM
Wow, Joel is the one of the few bankers that I like. He is so cool! Joel is the man.
Posted by: roxanne | May 19, 2009 10:55 PM
That's adorable! I love it. I wish more people cared enough to do things like that.
Posted by: Emily | May 20, 2009 09:04 AM
Isn't this inferfering with the ducks natural habitat? If the mother duck wants her nest there, don't interfere! Huproctites.
Posted by: Vincent G | May 20, 2009 11:37 AM
I heard this story a while ago but it's great to actually see the video clip.
Joel...you are THE MAN!
If acts of kindness and compassion aren't signs of true humanity, I ask, then, "What is?"
My faith in humans is restored...temporarily!
Thanks, PETA, for sharing it!
Posted by: Susan | May 20, 2009 01:47 PM
I work for the same bank (different location) as Joel does. We followed this story very closely last year, and continued to do the same this year. Being the only vegan in my branch of the bank, I followed extra close. Way to go Joel!!!
Posted by: Nicole | May 20, 2009 02:27 PM
They are just silly ducks!
Posted by: sally Joe | May 20, 2009 03:22 PM
Awesome Joel! -fellow Spokane resident
Posted by: kat | May 21, 2009 12:32 PM
This is a sad story because it gives ideas for the public to raid other nests. I asked the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Serivice if what the story reported was legal and they said no under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. I sent out emails to the bank and the news stations about what I learned and my concerns but I was blown off like a crazy PETA person! Also my Dad and I tried to call members of Ducks Unlimited posted on their websites and again no response.
Posted by: Craig | May 24, 2009 03:40 PM
Nice to see there's one banker who cares about ducks. Unfortunately one suspects there will be a thousand who care about shooting them...
Posted by: Mal | May 25, 2009 11:05 AM
Ok, I am confused. PETA is about leaving nests alone? Is any encouragement of raiding nests a terrible act anymore with PETA? This duck is not dumb. If her nest failed which I'm glad it didn't, she will move on and provide a better environment for her young in the future. Now people who cage wild birds and get caught in the act can now use the excuse of helping just like Joel the banker with a box. Also, how come he didn't call the wildlife department? Wouldn't this have been better for all birds to let the public know nests being harrased in anyway will not be tolerated?
Posted by: Craig | May 26, 2009 01:35 PM
Craig, I think you are missing the point that someone actually cared. He didn't raid a nest, he wasn't anywhere near where the actual nest was, just underneath. If you have ever lived around a park or lake in the city, and have seen a family of mom and baby ducks try to cross the street, just to have half her babies mowed down by cars, you would help them too. I just had a baby duck brought into my animal rescue who was stuck in a pool filter, if the person had not picked it up, (no mother duck in sight) it would have drowned. It is better to have people show compassion, than callous indifference.
Posted by: Delight | May 30, 2009 07:17 PM