Treasury duck has hatched her chicks

WASHINGTON -- Break out the cigars. The Treasury ducklings are hatching.

The brown mallard duck, who was given various nicknames by Treasury employees from "Quacks Reform" to "T-Bill" and "Duck Cheney," and became Washington's newest tourist attraction, began hatching her ducklings Saturday afternoon.

For the curious tourists gathered around her enclosure, there wasn't a lot of activity to see because the hatching was occurring underneath her.

The Secret Service uniformed division, which normally guards the president and other dignitaries, has been protecting the duck and her nest since she laid her eggs in early April, keeping the mother duck safe from tourists who stopped to snap pictures.

The duck's image appeared in newspapers around the world and she was also featured on a number of national television news programs. Through it all, she stuck to her job of sitting on the eggs, seemingly oblivious to all the activity around her.

Treasury officials said that after the duck and ducklings get a good night's rest, they will all be transported to one of the many urban parks in the Washington area and set free today.