GORGEOUS WOOD DUCK AT PROSPECT PARK LAKE

It's been a while since my last post. Sometimes I get busy and sometimes I wonder if students are checking out the blog or not. If you are, leave me a note. The more interest I see, the more I will post new things to the blog.

This morning I took a walk to Prospect Park. I wanted to check out the bird feeders that hang in the woods near the Audubon Center. I saw some chickadees, downy woodpeckers, a red-breasted woodpecker, red-breasted nuthatch, a house finch and other birds eating at the feeders. It was great. Then another person watching the feeders told me that there was a wood duck in the water down by the Audubon Center. So I took a walk there.

And there is was, among all the Canada Geese and Mallards swimming in the frigid water, a wonderful, brilliant wood duck! Luckily I had my camera and took some photos. Isn't he simply beautiful?

Most ducks nest on the ground, but wood ducks nest in trees near water, like Prospect Park Lake. They will nest in tree cavities or nesting boxes set up by people. They eat seeds, acorns, fruits, aquatic and terrestrial invertebrates.

The male wood duck I saw was swimming around with a bunch of mallards, who occasionally picked on him, but the wood duck didn't stand for it and occasionally pecked back at them. When someone showed up with bread, the wood duck joined the other waterfowl sliding on the ice for a handout. (Remember, don't feed bread to ducks. It's not good for them.)

On my way out of the park, I noticed a red-tailed hawk perched in a tree, but he didn't stay long. Before I knew it, he spreads his wings and took flight.