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Painted

Published

1930

Volume

3

Plate

144

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Wood Duck

Aix sponsa

DESCRIPTION

Near a small lake north of Mineola, Long Island, I found a WOOD DUCK'S nest in April, 1890. From a blind I watched family affairs and about ten o'clock on May 13th, the parents held a conference on the pond. A querelous clamor issued from the hollow tree — plaintive food cries. The adults decided their discussion and flew to the nest, mother to the entrance, father to a nearby limb.

Mrs. Wood Duck was a decisive individual: without hesitation she dove into the entry and in a few seconds appeared with a fluffy ball of down in her bill. A quick flip and down the youngster tumbled, recovered its feet and scuttled for the water! — Almost as fast as I could count, the yellow-brown atoms erupted from the orifice. — Eleven! All knew just where they wanted to go and not a single one made a mistake in the course. They couldn't see the pond but knew the direction. The parents joined the milling, cheeping bunch of animated puff balls, looked them over carefully, then the drake swam a short distance, stood up, waved his wings violently over what he undoubtedly considered his crowning achievement!

Just why this male, contrary to usual custom of his sex and kind, remained to watch the youngsters get their start in life, I cannot say but suppose he was an individual with personality and with strong paternal instincts. Subsequent observation proved the case exceptional for I seldom saw a male in the nest vicinity, and never again did I see a mother carry her young in her bill. Others have seen the young carried and the facts seem to be that if the nest is near water, young do their own scrambling; if the home is some distance from that element, the mother helps in transportation and carries most of the burden of family life.

Let it be graven to our credit that these exquisite avian jewels have been given protection which insures their hold on the razor edge of life. — Propagation and closed seasons in many states have resulted in increased numbers.

Behind an April mist I reached the old "June Bridge" unseen. This is not a travelers' bridge — merely a few chestnut planks over the brook to a sand pit. The fog lessened under the sun's rays and presently a trim Duck came peeping into the outer rim of vision, then melted out of sight. He had not noticed me and I could hear his subdued clucks, then answering peeps. The mist grew thinner — there was more color this time as he flitted over the surface daintily as a dragonfly. It did not seem a swimming motion, so lightly did he pirouette as tho he were pattering on air. . . . . The mist was gone and before me twinkled a living diamond, bowing and murmuring love notes to a tiny brown lady who coyly led her gallant upstream into the morning of delight amid the maples.

BREEDING

NEST: of feathers and down, in tree hollows; sometimes in deserted or little-used barns.

EGGS — 8 to 15; creamy or buffy.

RANGE

wood-duck
merganser
Merganser
129
redbreast-merganser
Redbreast Merganser
130
hood-merganser
Hood Merganser
131
mallard
Mallard
132
black-duck
Black Duck, Redleg Black Duck
133-133a
florida-duck-mottled-duck
Florida Duck, Mottled Duck
134-134a
gadwall
Gadwall
135
redhead-widgeon
Redhead Widgeon
136
baldpate
Baldpate
137
greenwing-teal
Greenwing Teal
139
bluewing-teal
Bluewing Teal
140
cinnamon-teal
Cinnamon Teal
141
shoveler
Shoveler
142
pintail
Pintail
143
wood-duck
Wood Duck
144
redhead
Redhead
146
canvasback
Canvasback
147
scaup-duck
Scaup Duck
148
lesser-scaup-duck
Lesser Scaup Duck
149
ringneck-duck
Ringneck Duck
150
goldeneye
Goldeneye
151
barrow-goldeneye
Barrow Goldeneye
152
bufflehead
Bufflehead
153
oldsquaw
Oldsquaw
154
harlequin-duck
Harlequin Duck
155
steller-eider
Steller Eider
157
spectacled-eider
Spectacled Eider
158
northern-eider
Northern Eider
159
eider
Eider
160
pacific-eider
Pacific Eider
161
king-eider
King Eider
162
scoter
Scoter
163
whitewing-scoter
Whitewing Scoter
165
surf-scoter
Surf Scoter
166
ruddy-duck
Ruddy Duck
167
mask-duck
Mask Duck
168
snow-goose
Snow Goose
169
blue-goose
Blue Goose
169.1
greater-snow-goose
Greater Snow Goose
169a
ross-goose
Ross Goose
170
whitefront-goose
Whitefront Goose
171a
canada-goose
Canada Goose, Hutchin Goose
172-172a
whitecheek-goose
Whitecheek Goose
172b
cackling-goose
Cackling Goose
172c
brant
Brant
173a
black-brant
Black Brant
174
barnacle-goose
Barnacle Goose
175
emperor-goose
Emperor Goose
176
blackbelly-treeduck
Blackbelly Treeduck
177
fulvous-treeduck
Fulvous Treeduck
178
whistling-swan
Whistling Swan
180
trumpeter-swan
Trumpeter Swan
181
flamingo
Flamingo
182
roseate-spoonbill
Roseate Spoonbill
183
white-ibis
White Ibis
184
glossy-ibis
Glossy Ibis
186
whiteface-glossy-ibis
Whiteface Glossy Ibis
187
wood-ibis
Wood Ibis
188
bittern
Bittern
190
least-bittern
Least Bittern
191
cory-least-bittern
Cory Least Bittern
191.1
great-white-heron
Great White Heron
192
great-blue-heron
Great Blue Heron
194
northwestern-coast-heron-ward-heron
Northwestern Coast Heron, Ward Heron
194a-194b
egret
Egret
196
snowy-egret
Snowy Egret
197
redish-egret
Redish Egret
198
louisiana-heron
Louisiana Heron
199
little-blue-heron
Little Blue Heron
200
green-heron
Green Heron
201
frazer-green-heron-anthony-green-heron
Frazar Green Heron, Anthony Green Heron
201a-201b
blackcrown-night-heron
Blackcrown Night Heron
202
yellowcrown-night-heron
Yellowcrown Night Heron
203
whooping-crane
Whooping Crane
204
little-brown-crane
Little Brown Crane
205
sandhill-crane
Sandhill Crane
206
limpkin
Limpkin
207