Eggs rescued from Totnes sewage works hatch into ducklings
A nest of eggs was discovered by South West Water teams during routine maintenance work
Last updated 23rd Jun 2026
Five ducklings are now thriving after a nest of eggs was rescued from a sewage treatment works by South West Water teams in Totnes.
It was discovered during routine maintenance work at the Totnes Sewage Treatment Works.
Catchment Technician James Blakesley and Josh Corderoy, Wastewater Treatment Operator at South West Water, quickly jumped into action after seeing the nest.
Speaking about the rescue, James said: “We couldn’t believe it when we saw the nest.
“We had just got our equipment out to get started with our maintenance works and were shocked when we saw it floating there.
“It was resting on some floating matter which can make its way into our tanks and was at risk of toppling over and being destroyed so we knew we needed to act quickly to save the eggs.
“We padded out one of our rubble sacks and tethered it to some rope so it would float and then used one of our sample poles to gently nudge the eggs out of the nest and into the bag. It was a miracle that none of them broke.”
The seven eggs were recovered and taken home for incubation by James.
The water company say it's not uncommon for birds to nest in parts of the treatment works, but successful rescues are rare and its not often the eggs go on to hatch.
Six of the eggs have since hatched with five of the ducklings surviving, developing well and living together.
James said the ducklings have now become part of the family, who have decided to keep them and have taken them under their wing as they continue to grow.
“My daughter loves them and wanted to give them a home in her playhouse, so we repurposed it to let them roam outside during the warmer weather," he said.
“The ducklings have been swimming in our paddling pool and settling into their new surroundings where they’ve quickly waddled their way into family life,"
“When the ducklings are older, we’ll move them into a larger indoor enclosure before eventually settling them into an old chicken coop next to our stream and pond,”
“We’re hoping they’ll make full use of the streams and ponds around our garden as they continue to grow and be right at home by the water. It’s amazing to see how far they have come in the last few weeks.”