RIP Peaches' ducklings

I first came to the lake early in the morning and saw the Peaches only had two ducklings.  I came back a few hours later and couldn't find her, at first, but found her with her two ducklings, swimming around.  I was there for an hour and decided to meditate so that I can both enjoy watching them and help protect them.

I saw a gull fly by and notice them, but he went away, probably because, at that time, they were only a few feet away from me.  They slept, played, and groomed each other as I sat there.  Then, all of a sudden, the gull came back and I saw him looking for the ducklings.  Before I could do anything, he swooped down and grabbed one.  He took it away and ate it before I could get to him.

Shortly before the attack

After that happened, the other gulls came and surrounded her last duckling.  I shooed the gulls away, but I decided that I couldn't watch them as they took her last baby, so I left.  I don't expect to see it the next time I visit.

The last duckling

The gull that snatched the baby looked like this one.  We found a dead adult gull nearby.  I hope it choked on a duckling.

 I know that gulls get ducklings, I just didn't need to see it happen.  Sometimes they drop them, too, but this one didn't.

At least they went before I could get too attached to them.

Almost all the ducklings were hatched and spent their early days in this and one other nearby area.  Both areas are saturated with gulls and very few ducklings survived, especially those that weren't moved from the area as soon as possible.  Fish Food Mama was the only successful mother.  I have no idea why she was able to get hers to adulthood and none of the other mothers couldn't.  I also don't know why there were no ducklings in one of the other areas of the lake.