Monday before the 4th, my wife and I were eating at the Corral Beach Fish Market. As we were gazing out at the ocean, another interesting sight came into view. A mother duck and five ducklings were seen walking along the southern shoulder of Pacific Coast Highway. When we first saw them they were west of us but continued east between the bluff top and the parked cars. Occasionally they wandered under the cars and between the parked cars and the highway.
I figured they were headed for Corral Canyon and would go down the bluff to the river mouth. However, when they got to the west side of the highway bridge over the creek, they continued along the sidewalk. When they reached the east side of the bridge, momma turned left with the five tykes following and started walking across the highway. Being a summer day, traffic was moderately heavy with cars traveling their usual over speed, 55 and faster. My wife started to cry, anticipating a dead duck family. However, about the time they reached the middle lane, a large black SUV stopped in the middle of the road to allow the birds to pass. Cars continued to whip past in the right lane, not even slowing for a parked car in the middle lane.
Unfortunately, the ducks turned around and headed back toward the south side of the highway putting them again at risk. The SUV turned across the right lane and parked in the shoulder. At this time, the woman driver got out and ushered the birds from under the bus bench down the embankment. She watched from over the bridge railing as the birds apparently traveled down the slope and under the highway tunnel to the creek. God and the birds, I am sure thank that anonymous woman and I know my wife and I also thank her for caring more about the birds than the risk to herself.
Don and Chris Kowalewsky