Duck Family's Journey Caught On Tape

Raw video shows 'Amelia Duckheart' and her ducklings jumping from their awning nest at Sterling Savings and parading through the streets of downtown Spokane before crowds gathered for the Armed Forces Torchlight Parade Saturday on the ducks' way to the Spokane River. SPOKANE - Amelia Duckheart and her babies are at home in the Spokane River and they had a lot of help along the way. All More.. 12 of Amelia’s eggs hatched on the second-story ledge of Sterling Savings Bank over the weekend. It's the second time Amelia Duckheart nested at the bank. "It was a real emotional roller coaster,” said Joel Armstrong, a loan officer at Sterling. “We would hope they would jump before the parade." One by one they jumped, just like last year, and Armstrong caught them, herded them into a box and waited for Amelia, but she didn’t come. "She flies out in the middle of Riverside and away from us," said Armstrong. Armstrong and fellow Sterling Savings employee Crystal Tobeck waited, worried and waited some more. Finally, Amelia flew back and the family's journey began. "Then Crystal and I and a lot of people worked on crowd control," said Armstrong, as they worried about thousands of people packing the streets for the Armed Forces Torchlight Parade that would start in about an hour. "They were clapping,” said Tobeck. “There's the Sterling duck. They were the hit of the parade." The family ended up safely at the Spokane River in Riverfront Park after a long journey through downtown. "It was one of the greatest days I've ever had," said Tobeck. Armstrong and Tobeck say they're hoping Amelia will be back for a third round next year. A biologist that KREM 2 News spoke with on Monday said female ducks can nest every year of their life, which means Amelia could be back for the next 10 to 20 years