Frog pond update: Wood duck box #2

She could have them hatch this week, then they jump 24 hours after the last one is hatched. The count down is on. Thing is, they only stay in the box for 24 hours after the last one hatches. Then, nada. It's a slim window for me, as an observer!
They were laid May 2nd, and take 28 - 37 days to hatch.

May 28th

It was funny, as I circled the pond, she decided to keep an eye on me!

June 1st

I was back yesterday, and she was gone. The eggs were warm, I guess she's off feeding. It's been a long sit! It's been a cool few days, and she's covered them up.



Here she is watching me from across the pond.
Momma wood duck was watching me as I circled the frog pond. I visit every day, exchanging the trailcam SD card.

The pond has been frequented by a paid of wood ducks, as well as 2 – 4 male mallards. It shows me the wood ducks haven't mated, and she hasn't laid eggs. I don't know if it is beyond the time frame for that endeavour!


These two have hung about the frog pond. Usually, if they mate, she lays the eggs, and he takes off.
The white styrofoam is what I put under the dock to help me raise it in the wetter weather. It popped out!

Barred owl bathing, woodpeckers, Bambi, wood ducks, newt at the pond

Most normal people are having a wonderful long weekend with family or friends. Me? I was rototilling the garden. Drawn away by the lure of my feathered friends, my arms jiggling and only half done. Saturday afternoon I had confirmation momma is still on the nest. They had a long, 4-sentence conversation. She interrupted him, too! (He had the last word, though.)

What a gift, watching our Barred owl having a bath in the wetland. He knew I was there, I've been watching him for more than a month. In the background you can hear the rose-breasted grosbeak, blue jay, grey tree frog, etc.! Just before he went for a swim, a chickadee was trying to talking him into taking off. I thought I heard the owl chick, but I'm not sure. The siren at about 2:00 startled him. He sat a long time grooming, which is why I separated it into two videos!

Owl bathing from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

After his bath, my Owl began grooming. It's quite a process!
An expert ID'd an oven bird and a vireo in the songs! (I'm hopeless at that!) There was another bird I spotted, but I couldn't snatch a photo. Eastern Kingbird, methinks. The woods are full.
Owl grooming from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.


Indeed, this is a Woodpecker nest. After gardening, I came up behind the house, onto the driveway, and could hear a ruckus. The jays were harassing momma. You can hear the babies screaming for food! She stood her ground and I chased the jays off. Momma's been taking our birds seed to the babes. I yelled and the jays scattered.

Woodpecker nest from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

The frog pond has been busy. The ducks have begun mating yet, although its in their mind. The deer is curious. The ducks came back. I added some audio from a different video as the trailcam is silent.
Frogpond traffic from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.
At first I thought salamander, but a biologist assures me it is a newt! There are quite a few. I saw a Red eft, it's nymphal stage, last week.

Newt from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

The experts think woodpeckers! This was before I spotted the momma! The sound is amazing!
baby birds from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

She did a fly-by, then came back and landed, thinking we weren't too much of a threat. Me an' Daisers!
Female wood duck from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.