When will they hatch?

Wood duck box

We still have Wood duck eggs! I was so surprised. I thought they were gone and went down to the pond to clean it out. I opened the hatch, and off she flew. Oops, me bad! She flew down to the water, quite irate.

The snake scope wasn't as good as I thought it to be, and momma was likely out for a bite to eat. I'd waited a couple of weeks to check her out, nearer her due date (June 15;  gestation = ~28 - 32 days) The eggs didn't come up on the camera, surrounded by down.
I've been waiting for her to hatch them in order to rescue our cut wood from around the frog pond. Not yet!

I can't tell how many eggs! (17?)
Can you?

First bout in the summer: July, 2011.
These boils are terribly itchy.

OCT. 2011:
The open boils spread
onto other areas if unchecked.
I have a salve from the dermatologist,
 which I apply to each spot. This curtails it.

In the meantime, with much rain this month, it appears we have more poison ivy. I've found some in the spot where I sit and watch my pond, as well as at the east side of the pond. I have had a couple of spots on my leg, another rash starting, and another on my belly, where I had a terrible time of it July, 2011. I'm going to have to be really careful, since I've had terrible reactions after my first encounters. It's a specific, painful itch and rash. I know it well!


The wild parsnip is everywhere, as well. It's in the ditches, and birds have carried seeds into our backyard, front yard, and they pop up everywhere. I've been spraying it individually with the good stuff, as I am very susceptible to it, having had several infestations of poison ivy. Each time is worse. Meantime, walkies down to the pond are curtailed. The deerflies are horrible, too.



I know they aren't as colourful as the males, but they are beautiful creatures.


Female Wood Duck from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.
Female Wood Duck: can you count the eggs?