How far can a duck walk?

[BigBlock]

Yesterday I came outside and found 3 little ducklings in the street in front of my house, all alone and making lots of noise. I didn't know what to do with them so I just guided them off the road. About 5 minutes later momma duck came walking up the street to get her chicks, it was so fun to watch! (making me get my own ducks!)

Anyway, I'm wondering where the heck these ducks came from. The closest pond to my house is about a half mile away. I just walked down there and couldn't find anywhere near that a duck might have come from. It was a long walk for me, no way the babies could have made it. Does anybody know how big the "range" is for a wild duck?

 

[sourland]

Ducks will frequently nest a considerable distance from water. Once the ducklings hatch the mother's first instinct is to take them to the 'safety' of water.