At a playground in April with my toddler and what do I stumble across. A pair of Australian Wood Ducks with their ducklings in the middle of the park. Of course I didn't have my camera with me so I had to make do with the camera on my mobile phone. *shudder* So I snapped a couple of photos (the top one being the best) and then got too close and had two very angry parents hiss at me (the second photo) so I took that as my cue to leave and left.
Anyway I'd forgotten about these photos until I saw Araminta's post.
They are just beautiful. I like the look on their faces when they hiss at you. Wood Ducks are great parents. When they cross the road , dad always goes first, then calls the rest of the family. (unfortunately that doesn't help if people in cars don't stop for them) Amazing how sharp photos taken with mobile phones are these days.
M-L
Oh my!! I have never had one hiss at me like that! Maybe I keep more of a distance or something. Up here usually people stop and wait for them... but there is always the dickhead that will try to overtake on the odd occasion . Love woodducks!
Sunshine Coast Queensland
Yeah they're beautiful, bibby!
I was just trying to work out how many there are - I count 9 in the first pic, but 10 in the second. Was there a slow-coach?
Cheers
Tim
Brisbane
I noticed that too while looking back at the photos. Checking the couple of other shots I have it was either hiding behind a sibling or one of the parents. This the photo from moments before the first pic showing 9 ducklings and there are definitely 10 here.
North Central Victoria
Aw, so sweet to see these. We get lots of baby ducks around here. The real challenge is to see how many get to survive. Nature is a harsh mother. But obviously enough do survive as the numbers of ducks seems to be growing.
Karen
Brisbane southside.
I can't say I have noticed this over the past 3-4 years, and that is in Gippsland with good rain and other conditions. Of course, if you believe the duck hunters, we are facing plague numbers of all sorts of animals, even endangered ones, but my personal experience is no noticeable increase in the number of ducks lately. What have others of you observed?
- soakes
soakes
Olinda, Victoria, Australia
Now that the drought has broken and the little creeks around the town have started running again I have noticed a growth in duck numbers. Every paddock in town seems to have a pair (or three) of resident wood ducks and pacific black ducks. I've even noticed the appearance of what seems to be Grey Teals in the vaccant land behind my parent's house.
Soakes, that is appalling about the duck hunters. I don't think there is any real duck hunting scene around my neck of the woods though, most of the hunters around here seem to be preoccupied with going into the Tallarook Ranges after deer.
North Central Victoria
Maybe it is just that we've had more rain over the last couple of years, but I do think the number of parents with ducklings has grown a lot. I am seeing them wandering along footpaths with high density traffic a mere metre away. I've even had a large family waddle up my footpath, and there is no water close to here. They are all wood ducks that I see in the danger zones. Also see more black swans around now too. Pairs seem to be setting up home in more lakes now. More Australasian Grebes around too. I am in the Brisbane area, southside.
Karen
Brisbane southside.
If you look at the second photo, just behind the bird on the right is the missing tenth duckling. I love these ducks too - although their call is quite eerie on a still night!
Alison
~~~~~~
"the earth is not only for humans, but for all animals and living things."
Ah well, it is good to hear that ducks are coming back, at least in warmer places. Hopefully I will notice this too over the next few months. I am so looking forward to baby bird season!
...and well-spotted, Alison!
- soakes
soakes
Olinda, Victoria, Australia
Where I live in and around the area of Gembrook, Cockatoo, Emerald ,all the way up to Upper Beaconsfield, Berwick and the lakes, there are lots of Wood Ducks, mainly on the side of the roads. Most of them had Ducklings last year. At the moment they haven't had any yet, I will let you all know as soon as they do.
M-L