About a month ago riding the Chesapeake Farms wildlife auto tour, I had stopped for several minutes, trying to get my lens on a bird, to no avail.
It was then, just up ahead on my left about 30 feet, an array of excited chirps and chattering filled the woods’ silence.
Slowly moving my car forward, passing a clump of bushes and large tree trunk was Wood Duck nest box #17. And adorable, chattering Wood Ducks were fledging!
“Weeee!” (plop!)
“Woohoo!” (plop!)
No time to grab my other camera with wider lens on the passenger seat. I had my 200-500mm lens in my hand; so I stayed at 200mm and clicked away as ducklings #3 through #9 jumped 4-6 feet (1.2-1.8 meters) down to the water!
.
“The Scene”
(at 200mm)
.
I am sharing this delightful event in sequence, with further photo cropping unless a duckling was sailing out.
.
Ducklings #3 with #4 trying to see
.
Ducklings #3 and #4
.
“My turn!”
.
Ducklings #5 not waiting as #6 looks on
.
Duckling #6 pondering
.
Ducklings #6 getting ready to jump with #7 looking on
.
Duckling #7
.
“I don’t know about this…..”
.
“It sure looks pretty far down…..”
.
“Okay….I think I got this….”
.
“Here I come!”
.
Ducklings #8 and #9
.
Duckling #8 pushing off for the plunge
.
Duckling #9 all alone
.
“Wait for me!”
.
Within one minute, all nine ducklings were now in the water below.
.
Wood Duck ducklings
.
.
I quickly scanned the trees above, looking for Momma but didn’t see her. I pulled away slowly so she could come down to them.
Twenty minutes later I passed by this location again on my way out of the farm and not a duckling in sight. Momma had done her job and escorted them away to safer waters deeper in the woods. 🙂
