Wood Duck Heaven

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I followed the gaze of another birder, who was looking across to the far edge of the pond through binoculars.

What an awesome treat to discover he’d seen not only one Wood Duck, but two pairs of Wood Ducks on the pond!

This was the first day I’d seen the handsome Wood Ducks this year – !

These colorful males and their lovely female partners prefer “wooded, brushy, or other vegetated wetland areas … [exactly like our local wetlands] … Wood ducks nest in tree cavities near lakes, rivers, ponds, and other wetland areas” (Florida FWC).

This is breeding season for them, so I hope we’ll be as lucky as last year, and see lots of adorable ducklings in a month or two.☺️

Many more fun facts about Wood Ducks can be found here, too! (Audubon – 10 cool facts about wood ducks)

“Wood Ducks owe their common name to the fact that they are one of the few waterfowl species that perch and nest in trees. Sharp nails on their webbed feet allow them to balance on branches and maneuver into tree cavities that they use for nesting.”

40 thoughts on “Wood Duck Heaven”

  1. How exciting! They’re gorgeous. I went to one pond yesterday looking to see if any were there for Spring breeding season but, no joy. I’ll be looking for them in another place I know they use this coming week. I hope I’m as lucky as you were and see a pair.

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    • They do prefer to be in amongst the plant life, or so I’ve heard. And these two pairs kept swimming in and out behind the marshy plants until finally, they approached very close to the boardwalk in slightly more open water. What a treat!

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