![]() ![]() It's possible the now-resident duo drove them off, but we doubt that's the case. We're not sure what happened to another two pairs of Wood Ducks that were present the past few months. One-a-day egg-laying can take a while because woodies typically have clutch sizes of 12-16 or more. She won't begin incubating until her clutch is complete, assuring all her ducklings hatch at once. By late afternoon she departs with the male for parts unknown, probably to roost in a tall tree some distance away. Occasionally we've seen the female enter through the four-inch hole in the box, indicating she's either ready to lay or is already placing eggs in the nest. (Notice how brown the pond water is from all our recent rain and run-off.) Some days the hen stood on one leg (as above), seemingly keeping as close an eye on the male as he did on her. The female alternately swam and perched atop the box several times (see photo above), while the drake paddled in small circles-apparently standing guard to make sure no other hormonal male Wood Duck tries to sneak in for extra-pair copulations. By the morning of 11 March a pair of woodies indicated they've staked a claim to the box on the east bank of the pond-the one closest to the Center's old farmhouse. Our time spent last month to clean out and replace pine shavings in the Wood Duck boxes at Hilton Pond Center did seem to pay off. (Many folks consider male woodies to be the most eye-pleasing freshwater ducks in North America.) Their markings don't show well in the photos above taken under very gray morning skies, but you can still make out the large white eye-ring of the female and bright patterning on the red-eyed male. Wood Ducks are externally dimorphic, the less colorful female out-styled by her mate. ![]() It seems odd a web-footed duck is able to perch on tree branches, but woodies obviously do quite well. At the Center on the morning of 1 March we watched as a hen flew to a limb about 75 feet up a Black Walnut tree (see photo above), followed soon after by a drake (below). Before humans started putting up nest boxes, these native waterfowl laid their eggs in big tree hollows-often quite high above ground level. Wood Ducks are "waterproof" and actually do spend time in arboreal habitats. It's been so wet our Wood Ducks are having to roost in the trees to stay dry!Īll text, maps, charts & photos © Hilton Pond Center March arrived at Hilton Pond Center after an incredibly wet February that brought 5.51" of rain and left our trails soggy-and in some cases, submerged. ![]() Subscribe for free to our award-winning nature newsletter ![]()
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