Wood Duck in a Tree

We were happy to see a pair of wood ducks back on the lake this morning. Here's a picture of the male on the lake. They flew off into a tree. We took an early morning walk and got this photo of the female about 50 feet high.

Wood Ducks: Back in Jersey

Wood Ducks

This pair caused quite a stir at our house very early this morning. We were having our coffee in the upstairs bedroom windows as usual, which offer the best view of a large portion of the lake. At first glance with the naked eye, Chris thought the Hooded Merganser couple was back. Fortunately she was quick to grab the binoculars and discover it was a male and female Wood Duck pair. She dashed for the camera, of course all the while exclaiming to Mike how she could not contain her excitement. It's a good thing she moved fast, because they only stayed for about 20 minutes. We had seen a pair of these one day early last November also early one morning, and we hadn't seen any again until this morning. Chris sat out on the dock late this afternoon for an hour and a half hoping they would come by again so we'd have a clearer picture to put up, but they just didn't come by. The early mornings and late afternoons seem to be the best times for the less common types of ducks we see, so we'll surely be up early again tomorrow hoping for a repeat performance. The lovely female Common Merganser was here early in the morning too, and she was just demanding to be photographed again. I do love the way she is looking at him.

A Pair of Wood Ducks