Wood Ducks Observations & Comments

Notice: Currently unedited, stream-of-consciousness copy.

But one has to jump in somewhere so the experiment can continue. Trying to figure out how to merge actual observations with enhancing background information. A logical system will emerge in a timely fashion, or not. One thing you learn with age is: failure is a valid outcome to an experiment as well. 😊

It is too confusing to try to have both the Time-Line and Comments/Observations on the same page. Each has a different purpose, the Time-Line is for checking out what's happening right now. The current date will be at the top of the list.

The Observations/Comments page is meant to be more of a journal about the Wood Ducks experience here, from earliest Spring to when they leave, if, they do in fact decide to nest here this year. This is the greatest observation going on right now, because there are a few variables in their environment which have us wondering.

Soon the leaves will come out on all the trees lining the shoreline, and our daily "look out" every morning from inside will be lost. We have learned to stay away from them during nesting season as much as possible, especially in the mornings. Right now, it seems the Wood Ducks have quasi-disappeared. Their behavior changes greatly when the female transitions from laying her eggs to sitting on eggs. Right now, in early April, it seems too early for her to be sitting on them already, hence my concern they don't show up a few days in a row. Although that might have happen every year but we weren't notating it. They only lay 1-2 eggs a day and their average clutch is 7-15 eggs.

Although, some nests will be used for "dumping" and more than one female will lay eggs in it. That has happened before in previous years, we suspect. But so far, the nesting box hasn't been that reliably busy.

Two factors that may be causing me to be worry over nothing are these, while we try to see what's going on out there all morning, we don't. And after the initial nesting choice is complete, the Wood Duck begins to go inside much quicker, and the male leaves more quickly too.

The other factor is, if she's a young or inmature mother, she might now lay as many eggs. We've never documented this day-by-day before and what's happening might be perfectly normal.

But it's not a "normal" season, so far. There is a great deal of noise and building, constructing going on in the immediate area. Noise travels and is magnified on the river too. So they might have decided it feels too unsafe. Wood Ducks are much more cautious about where they nest than their pals, the Mallards.

Looking at the time-frame so far, she could indeed be starting to sit on her nest. Their behavior changes dramatically then. And the reason why for this is so logical, but was also one of the most surprising thing I first learned about ducks, at least the ones around here, when first observing their nesting habits.

The female will go into the nesting spot and lay her egg or two, then after some time, leave again and won't come back again, until she's ready to lay an egg or two, the next day. This is most logical. The eggs don't begin to grow until the female settles in and sits on her nest, after she has finished laying all of them for that season. (If they begin early enough, sometimes they'll have a second laying.)

Once all the eggs are laid (I don't know how they determine that) she then settles in to nest. The nesting period is 29-34 days and she only comes out to eat. The male usually disappears much of the time, but as I can remember from previous years, does show up especially for her dinner, before sunset, and stays with her for some time then- but not too long. She finishes and then flies right back into the nesting box, and this time, no fooling around. She makes a bee line straight into the hole. How she's able to do this, without hitting her head against the back wall and then crashing onto the eggs is a mystery.