Troy Wasson was out the front of his Malone Street home when he heard a crash and breaking glass. On investigation all he found was what he initially thought was a goose strolling down his deck, and a smashed window. “It was a large duck,” he said, “but I first thought it was a goose – similar shape.” He managed to apprehend the culprit and put her in a rabbit run for safe keeping until the owner could be located. 

The duck, whose name is Daphne and is described by owner Portia Condell as “a bit of a character”, had other ideas. When Portia arrived to collect her, she had escaped custody and sparked a chase around the district, eventually being recaptured in the dam on her own property with the runner ducks.

According to Portia, Daphne may have had ambitions to fly north for winter with the wild ducks, and had slipped out of the pen while Portia was feeding the other ducks in the morning. Portia had posted an alert about the escapee on a local Facebook page in the morning, but it wasn’t until Daphne flew into Troy’s window that she was seen.

As Daphne has no prior convictions for willful damage or vandalism, it is presumed that her collision with the window was accidental and is being treated as a first offence. Daphne came through her adventure with nothing more serious than a bruised ego and will likely remain in chilly Braidwood for the winter rather than making it to warmer climes. Troy’s window was covered by insurance.