Ducks on the Pond

Three male Wood Ducks
hanging out before flying south.
dwm photo 10/21/17

Until this year, I had never seen a Wood Duck in the wild.  Last spring, a pair were nesting in box on a pond near my office.

Then, a few days ago, I heard they returned and brought along some company.

More than two dozen Wood Ducks have been hanging out in a small forest wetland in the middle of the city.  The attraction seems to be the acorns from a large grove of Oak trees.  The Wisconsin DNR reports the birds will forage for the nuts for hours and even eat them off the trees!

Judging by my observations this year, I think there are more acorns than usual.  In Springfield at Lincoln's Tomb a stately Oak was raining nuts so frequently walking underneath was a hazard.  Around here I'm seeing more than years past.

Maybe that's why these beautiful waterfowl are hanging out in our neighborhood.  Wood Ducks have claws on the bottom of their webbed feet to perch on trees, that was news to me.

Four males and one female in this shot.
The female is on the same branch as the far left male.
dwm photo

As flamboyantly attired as the male Wood Duck is, with red eyes, iridescent plumage, and a white flare down a crested head; the female is gray with a white throat and ring around its eye.

I was taking pictures from maybe 30 feet.  The females literally faded into the scenery, invisible in plain sight

After returning with 170 photos, I researched the ducks.  The species was nearly wiped out a century ago because their habitat disappeared; and they were widely hunted for meat and to use their feathers in women's hats.

The Wood Duck prefers wooded swamps - which pretty
well describes this spot.  dwm photo

A Migratory Bird Treaty in 1916 regulated hunting, and man-made nesting boxes placed in wetlands helped restore the population.

Conservation efforts, including bag limits and wetlands preservation continues to boost the population.

The small pond where I found this flock is surrounded by trees in turn bordered by major city streets and urban development.

As colorful as the male Wood Duck is, you have to pay attention to see one.  The bright white stripes and deep colors blend in from a distance. 

The little guys are sharp.  They seemed to know where I was.  If I circled the pond for a better view, they paddled to the other side, playing hard to get.  That's why most of my best photos have leaves in the foreground to hide my vantage point.  It was worth the effort.