Mother & Her 12 Ducklings, 2nd Visit, April 5, 2021

Note how they ducklings aren't eating, but crowd underneath her. Note how she steps outside of them and works her way in a circle around them. She's teaching them!
Yesterday Mama brought her 12 babies up to where we were sitting on the side patio. She'd snuck up on us, apparently crossing behind the house from the other side, where we'd been feeding her and her mate for the last month or so. We figure she came looking for us, since there was no seed out there. By the time I got the seed out, she'd skedaddled - the kids easily squeezed through the back fence, but she couldn't, and seemed confused. I foolishly tried to convince her to fly over to join them. She finally did, but clearly I panicked her; I feared we might not see them again.
But about 9:30 this morning she brought them in again! This time I had the seed - and my camera - ready. I circled way out in the back and set up my shot, but the sun was in my eyes, and I couldn't tell if the shot was good or not. I slowly moved into the shade, but as soon as I settled my shot she decided it was time to go.
Last year it was April 25th when we first saw a mother duck with 9 ducklings come up. A week later it was down to 7, and they kept coming until mid-June or so. We're guessing this mother is likely one of those seven.