Mikey and I have been on Operation Baby Duck Watch duty with the hope of seeing baby Wood Ducks jump out of their nest box and into the pond! Jump Day has finally arrived and here's how it went down...
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| 5 fingers = 5 a.m.! This was our fourth day waking up at 5 a.m. all in an effort to see some baby Wood Ducks! |
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| This is what we were focused on...that tiny black hole across the pond. |
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| Mikey's eyes weren't totally in focus yet (he needed a little more caffeine!) so he opted for his trusty binoculars to help him see more clearly! |
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There she is...the momma Wood Duck that we've been watching for weeks. She was so active this particular morning, appearing very alert and quite nervous. |
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Momma jumping out of the nest box into the pond. Is it finally time to call her babies?! |
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Not quite yet! She waddled up into the grass to make sure the area was safe for her babies to jump. |
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Here's a peak at her through some tall grass. What a sweet face! |
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Time to check on the babies. Back into the nest box she flew. |
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I love this shot. It's amazing how fast she would fly into that little hole! |
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Momma poking out of her nest box again.
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Splash! She flew back and forth between the nest box and pond a lot! |
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Okay, all seems calm now. She starts to call her babies! |
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It's a baby Wood Duck!! This is THE moment we've been waiting weeks for!! |
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The baby Wood Duck (a.k.a. Mr. Peepers) landed safely in the water and is now swimming alongside his momma. |
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Momma guided Mr. Peepers to the shore. |
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Momma walked up the shore while Mr. Peepers stayed close by in the water (in front of the rocks). |
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Another shot of momma on shore and Mr. Peepers in the water. |
We kept waiting and waiting for more baby ducks to jump out of the next box. After awhile, momma waddled off with Mr. Peepers into the woods and didn't come back. We were so surprised and perplexed. Weren't there any more babies in that nest box?!
After a couple days, Mikey checked the box and there were eggs, but they didn't hatch. Momma had abandoned them. The eggs were still slightly warm, so Mikey took quick action...
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| He prepared a bucket with straw and feathers to transport the eggs to the safety of his workshop. |
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| Mikey made a cozy "incubator" complete with a thermometer and light. |
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| This picture warms my heart. He even added a slider light switch to help control the temperature. He also added a fan to the extensive set up. |
After several days, it was apparent that it was time to relocate the eggs deep into the woods. It broke our hearts. We're not sure why they didn't hatch. However, we're very thankful we got to see the beautiful journey...the arrival of the Wood Ducks, how they choose their mates, the process of building a nest, Operation Baby Duck Watch, and Mr. Peepers' Jump Day. We learned a lot...and are ready for Operation Baby Duck Watch 2016!
Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding.
-Proverbs 3:5
