A grand opening for Preston's own 'Duckingham Palace'

A trip down to London may now seem overrated, as a Preston woman and her neighbours built a 'royal coop' for two ill ducklings that had hatched in her garden.
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After a duck from nearby Walton Park had made its way into Maureen Baxter's back garden, it laid six eggs that hatched shortly after.

But sixty days later, two of the newborn ducklings appeared to have developed 'angel wing' - a condition that renders them flightless.

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Along with the help neighbours Terry and Dianne, they built a large coop to house them over winter and named it 'Duckingham Palace' with an official opening ceremony and ribbon cutting.

The two ducks, that were born with angel wing, are unable to fly like their siblingsThe two ducks, that were born with angel wing, are unable to fly like their siblings
The two ducks, that were born with angel wing, are unable to fly like their siblings

Maureen, of Walton-Le-Dale, said: "There is a big nature reserve about half a mile away from me. Whenever I go, I take special food for them and all the ducks and moor hens come swarming towards me from the water.

"The mallard duck came and laid the eggs in my garden and after 60 days, four of them flew away. I was left with two who couldn't fly because they developed angel wing. It's lovely to watch them swimming in my pond but me and my neighbours thought of the fact they couldn't fly and wanted to keep them warm in the winter."

With the ducklings huddling underneath a connifer tree in the corner of her garden, Maureen's neighbours constructed a coop to keep them safe and warm over the approaching winter months.

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And the royal treatment didn't stop there, naming the two birds Beatrice and Alice and hosting a ribbon cutting ceremony to introduce them to their new home.

The house was given a royal opening with ribbon cutting and a union jack flagThe house was given a royal opening with ribbon cutting and a union jack flag
The house was given a royal opening with ribbon cutting and a union jack flag

"I have been looking after them, feeding them sweetcorn, lettuce and petit pois, and watching them swim in my pond. My next door neighbours had been keeping an eye on them and constructed the beautiful duck house," said Maureen.

"It has been lovely to watch them. After all the unfortunate news about Covid-19 and local lockdowns, it is a lovely way to show that nature carries on regardless."

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