High Rise Mallard!

Seeking advice to our predicament. 

Two weeks ago on returning home from work we noticed flowers and soil had been removed from the centre of a metre long window box that hangs from the rail around the balcony of our 7th floor apartment overlooking the Rhein here in France. The following evening we noticed one egg had been laid in the cleared space in the window box, a succession of newly laid eggs followed till Saturday morning arrived and then saw a female Mallard sitting on her eggs. Now she's fully committed to the incubation process.

Our dilema now is what action should we take if the ducklings successfully hatch? Knowing that they'll likely fall to their death if we don't take any action, how can we transfer mother and ducklings to a safe stretch of the river? 

We are desperate to try to ensure a happy outcome, any suggestion would be greatly appreciated.

Tony & Lynda 

Hi Tony and Linda welcome to the forum from rainy Sheffield

I was only thinking the other day when the crazy Mallard nest posts were going to start we had loads last year,they seem to nest in the craziest places.While you wait for advice i'll have a look back through the posts to see if anyone else had the same problem

Hi Tony and Lynda,

What a predicament! I have seen videos of ducklings hatching on balconies, where someone has waited at ground level to catch them, but admittedly not from one 7 storeys high!

This is the advice given by the RSPB and will be helpful to you.

http://www.rspb.org.uk/advice/helpingbirds/nesting_mallards/ducklings.aspx

I hope all goes well! Please let us know.

EDIT   post crossed with Doggie's