Having the male present could also draw unwanted attention to the young fledglings and alert predators. Ducklings are fairly independent at birth and only require protection and brooding by the hen. Most duck species only stay mated during breeding and early nesting. The drakes and hens no longer spent time together. My mission would be a success.ĭuring late spring a silence fell over the pond. I had witnessed and photographed the first behavior on my list. Both of these pairs swam through the area and then each stopped for a short time to groom each other within my view. They were followed shortly by a two separate Wood Ducks pairs. After two hours a pair of Mallards made an appearance. However, courtship season would end soon and I knew my time was short, so I waited. The canoers didn’t stay long but I knew it would be hours before any ducks would return. At that point ducks I hadn’t even seen flew out from the reeds. One afternoon, I peeked out to see two canoers working their way through the pond. That spot seemed promising so I continued to set up my blind and keep watch. After multiple visits I had only seen minimal interaction between two pairs. For the next several weeks I trekked back out to the pond and set up a blind at the edge of the shore. This was one key behavior I wanted to observe and photograph. I only snapped a few photos and then scoped the area to determine where I would set up for my next, longer visit.ĭuring breeding season the drake Wood Duck of a mated pair will often groom his mate as a show of affection and to enhance the pair bond. They had been perching on a log and enjoying the warmth of the sun. Far off the main trail and through gaps in the trees I spotted three Wood Ducks, one mated pair and one interloper drake. The ice had thawed and the pond was wide open, so I trudged through the trails and beyond. When I arrived at the main, open section of the pond I saw only Geese. At my first opportunity I packed up my newly purchased gear and embarked on a reconnaissance mission to seek them out at my local wetland. In April 2015 the lakes and ponds started to thaw and I heard reports of local Wood Duck sightings. It is also common to find a second, interloper drake waiting in the wings, hoping to step in if the first drake doesn’t work out. When they migrate to their summer home the drake follows the hen to her native nesting site. And I anxiously awaited their return.ĭuring those months away, Wood Ducks pair up to choose mates for breeding season. I made a mental list of the behaviors I hoped to observe. I scoured the internet and read all the books I could find about them. I made several trips to the local outdoors store and purchased a variety of camouflage items, all compact and portable because I would have to carry them in and back out again for every visit. During those months while the ducks were away I began preparing for their return. Wood Ducks migrate south looking for a suitable climate. Winters in New York can be cold and the lakes and ponds freeze over. By late September I had moderate success in observing them by concealing myself and my camera using a camouflage cloth. Throughout September and early October I explored the pond, trudging deeper and deeper into the woods and away from trails until I found a spot where the Wood Ducks would gather. In the autumn of 2014 I set out to try to photograph these elusive, wild ducks at a local wetland preserve. In New York they are very wild and wary of humans. These ducks are tame and can be approached and photographed with a fair amount of ease. There are parts of the country where they are found in more public areas. However, photographing Wood Ducks, especially in upstate New York, is extremely challenging. The drake Wood Duck in full nuptial plumage is one of the most beautiful and celebrated ducks in the world. If you have already read this and aren’t interested in the refresher, please jump to the bottom for a full suite of wood duck images, including some newly released photos from the spring and summer of 2019. There’s just something special about those scrappy dabblers. Still, after all these years, easy or difficult, I feel that same thrill when a wood duck of any age or molt enters the scene. Five years later, in 2019, I have the incredible luxury of walking a relatively short, well-groomed trail and viewing these beautiful ducks from a wooden blind at that same pond. I thought I would re-publish this blog to expand on my post. Yesterday was World Photography Day and on social media I wrote briefly about my beginnings, five years ago when I set out to photograph wood ducks at my favorite, local wetland. “What an ornament to a river to see that glowing gem floating in contact with its waters!” – Henry David Thoreau, writing about the drake Wood Duck
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