Make Way for Ducklings - A winged first family calls White House home

From my Fox News colleague L.A. Holmes:

John McCain may not have won the top post in the nation, but at least one maverick now calls the White House home.

A mother duck braved the oft-trampled sidewalk near the Press Briefing Room this week to nestle her brood of ten downy ducklings. The family was first spotted attempting to traverse the walkway Wednesday morning, presumably headed to a nest elsewhere on the grounds. But the feeble youngsters had a tough time climbing the concrete steps, so mama can be seen giving them a little break under her watchful eye before striking out again.

Take a look at video of the Winged First Family below:

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Photographer Geoff Doyle has seen the White House grounds spring to life before. "This seems to be an annual 'animal planet' event," he said. Doyle was able to catch a few frames of the ducklings after shooting a live hit, offering a bit of levity to the hard news that comes from that building each day.

The White House grounds are no stranger to budding life. Earlier this spring, a family of robins was spotted roosting in a bush right outside the press briefing room.

Maybe it's the constant rush of deadline reporters, grabbing lunch on the go and dropping precious crumbs that attract the winged critters. Maybe it's the promise of a new president with a fresh agenda and bold plan for this country that's inspired these feathered friends to take up residence at 1600 Penn. Perhaps they just can't resist the lure of pristine, manicured lawns and private swimming spots in the middle of Washington's concrete jungle. "There's a big pond in the back a lot of green, so I'm not totally surprised," said one White House press official who said he's never seen anything like this before.

Either way, a single mother with ten adorable mouths to feed could have a worse place to live than the White House.