Workers refurbishing a building in Dublin found a duck nesting with its eggs in an unusual habitat - between chimneys on a rooftop.
The men, from Fleeton Watson Ltd, were refurbishing the facade of 30/31 Wicklow Street.
They discovered the mallard duck and its seven eggs while putting up scaffolding on the roof.
Ducks normally nest on flat land, usually beside water, but it is understood the location may be a ploy to avoid predators.
For four weeks, the men brought the duck bread and water, and cleared weeds from around its nest after it had briefly flown away.
Foreman Mr Jim Costello said: "We were thinking about bringing it to St Stephen's Green to re-nest it, but we got on to the Office of Public Works where a ranger reckoned it was better to leave it alone.
"The ranger told us if we did relocate the duck, it would just go back to its nest. And he also said the chicks were fairly hardy. So we decided to let nature take its own course."
The ducklings' survival chances are hopeful, even though they have a high mortality rate.
Although the men worked close to the duck for four weeks, it remained "a little wary". If they approached slowly, they would get close. However, the white workmen's helmets seemed to scare the bird.
According to the ranger, said Mr Costello, it was a relatively rare situation. "He said there were seagulls, pigeons, even a peregrine falcon - but not a duck so far from water."