After weeks of winter weather and the continuous efforts of several concerned citizens to find a relocation resolution, the ducks at the Willow Dale duck pond are still fighting the ice for a home — one that may have to be permanent.
“I’m concerned about the well-being of these rather docile, flightless ducks that aren’t going to have anywhere to go pretty soon, and I’m not the only one,” concerned citizen Beverly Sherman told The Era previously. “There is a lot of concern for these ducks, and I believe that, with cooperation from the local community, we can come up with a solution to save them.”
After a second Era article concerning the ducks was published, Sherman said she received ten responses from other concerned citizens throughout the community.
“A few wished to donate money for feed, and most said they’d help with removal of the ducks if help was needed,” Sherman continued. “It was, and they did.”
However, every effort of the citizens to remove the ducks from Willow Dale has been, thus far, unsuccessful.
“Between Christmas and New Year’s, a group of 5-6 volunteers planned to try a round up, but there was a heavy snowfall through the night and we called it off as we didn’t want the volunteers to get hurt slipping or falling,” Sherman explained. “As a result, a second date was set for this past Monday (Jan. 2). But having six people there, the ducks were leery of coming out of the water. And, after about an hour, we left as it didn’t appear we would make any further progress.”
Because members of the group had never attempted anything like the round up before, Sherman commented that “the best way to do it” was unclear.
“Basically, we showed up and looked at ways we thought would be logical towards removing the ducks safely,” she stated. “None became known, and our efforts were unsuccessful and have remained so.”
Initially, Sherman reached out to the Willow Dale Cemetery Association caretaker who had moved the ducks many years ago looking for guidance, assistance or advice on an approach. She did not receive a call back.
“Once I learned the Willow Dale Cemetery Association’s position was no association with the ducks at the pond, I understood why I had no return call,” she clarified.
While at the Willow Dale pond on Monday, Sherman took note of a handwritten sign on a nearby tree stating that “any person(s) removing ducks from the area will become caretakers and owners of said ducks.”
Additionally, it stated that The Friends of Willow Dale and Willow Dale Cemetery Association would no longer permit the dropping off of domestic waterfowl on the pond property.
“If you remove them, do not bring them back or they will be removed immediately,” it read.
“I want to stress that none of the concerned citizens that reached out to me ever intended anything but to remove the ducks to a safe location for the duration of the winter,” Sherman explained. “Through these past couple of weeks, I have learned that there are people who go to the pond to feed corn, grain, etc.; some go daily and others occasionally. Some feed from the roadside; others, like Dave Cibula, go to the spillway side. So there’s a lot of involvement from members of the community in caring for the ducks — just none that have permanent resolutions or residences for them. That leaves us with the question of where to go from here.”
The concerned citizens’ primary focus remains the welfare of the ducks as the weather continues to worsen, Sherman noted.
“Checking the FWD Facebook page, there is basically one post per year and nothing about taking care of the ducks, other than needing funds for feed,” Sherman added. “I contacted the FWD caretaker to discuss the note he left on the tree at Willow Dale with concern over the ducks long-term sheltering, and he questioned why this assistance hadn’t been provided for the past five years. I live in Randolph, N.Y., though I work at Zippo, and so I would have no way of knowing that there were issues the past five years. Before the articles, it’s gone under the radar.”
On Wednesday, the FWD caretaker, Steve Cavallaro, posted on his Facebook page that “due to unfortunate circumstances” he has decided to step away as the overseer and caretaker of the Willow Dale duck pond and went on to say “it looks like there is a handful of people that are going to be willing to step up and take over my role. I wish them luck.”
Sherman said she is unsure if Cavallaro is referring to the concerned citizens or if he has another “handful of people” in mind; however, her reasoning for reaching out about the issue remains simple — to remove the ducks now before they become prey to the coyotes, fox, or even dogs, as they have in the past. Notto provide long-term care.
“Some have suggested we ‘leave them alone’ as it is ‘the circle of life’; but we don’t share that opinion,” Sherman said, though it is becoming harder and harder to find a resolution.
“There was an account at CNB Bank for feed and I was made aware that as of today it has been closed and money placed at the Feedery for duck feed at Willow Dale,” she said.
As one of the concerned citizens noted, feeding them has never been the main issue. It is leaving them at the pond to be taken down by wild predators.
“These ducks have no wild instincts, they are flightless, have only known human contact since hatch, and do not have nature’s full instincts to survive, find food to sustain them, and how to avoid predators. We are trying to do the humane thing and keep them from starving and being eaten alive by predators once the pond is frozen over,” the concerned citizen commented.
Sherman added that her husband and Dave Cibula were at Willow Dale again on Wednesday in an attempt to capture the ducks safely. Again, efforts were unsuccessful.
“We want no ill-will from anyone; we simply want to see these ducks survive,” Sherman stated. “I don’t know what the long-term resolution is. All I know is that people in the community brought the ducks to Willow Dale, and people will continue to try and relocate the ducks before they succumb to the elements. The steps to be taken after that remain unclear.”
