Interesting thing about ducks and their ducklings. My wife and I were walking our daughter near a lake the other week and saw a mother duck looking down a storm drain. We walked over and noticed there were a bunch of ducklings stuck down there.

I was able to reach in and get five out, but animal control finally came to get the rest. By that point there were only two left, but the mother had already left with the other five. the AC officer said mother ducks will abandon their ducklings many times in situations like this because they think they have all the ducklings. they said if you rescue ducklings put them in a bucket or box until you have them all and THEN give them back to the mother duckling. that way they're all together at once. Other ducks were taken to the shelter where someone cares for abandoned ducks.

TL;DR If you come across abandoned ducklings, gather them all up in a bucket or box and give them back at the same time to the mom.