Ducklings Saved or Squandered?

Hello,

My name is Maria Young and I need an education.  I currently teach yoga at Total Woman at South Shore Center.  A month or so ago I noticed a mama duck and her mate nesting in one of the small parking lot squares near Trader Joe's.  

I posted here on the Patch hoping that a wildlife enthusiast might know what to do to help this mama relocate to a better spot.

Over the weeks I would see them periodically, sometimes not at all.  I hoped I was wrong, but turns out I was right.

This morning I saw the mama with her 10 ducklings in tow, walking from Big 5 back to the nest area.  Lots of folks were stopping and taking photos (it was so darn cute) but I think a lot of us were worried.  

Today the asphalt was very hot.  Where would they go?  How would they get to the lagoon across Park Street?

Another woman, Irene, stopped as well.  She consulted with the staff at PetSmart but all we got was a phone number for animal control.  While we discussed what to do, a troop of young Coast Guard Cadets were strolling down Park Street.

Irena seemed convinced that these babies needed to get to the water today, "Look at this parking lot...they cannot survive here..."  So, for better or for worse, we and the 10 or so Coast Guard cadets got mama duck and babies across Park Street to the lagoon.

I'm torn:  I've always heard how we shouldn't interfere with wildlife (babies seal pups get separated from mom by well-meaning 'rescuers', etc.) but on the other hand, how could we keep watching mom on the blacktop being followed by photographers, etc., while her babies got hotter and hotter in the sun?

If anyone has any good information on what we did, what we should have done, I'd love to know for future reference.  Please educate me but be nice.  We really did try to do the best with what information we had. Thanks so much.

Maria