This Flapping Female Wood Duck appeared as if by magic and performed for me. My regular readers know I searched for years and years to spot a single Wood Duck and thought maybe they were just a myth. I finally found The Elusive Wood Duck pair to photograph in Delaware after a lot of effort and slogging through the mud. Despite their nickname of “Carolina Duck”, I could not locate a Wood Duck anywhere in North Carolina until this beautiful female.   I found her flapping her wings in a pond near the North Carolina coast. I am delighted she emerged and flapped her wings right in front of me and grateful that I had my camera.

The Wood Duck is one of the most beautiful ducks. It is commonly known as the Carolina Duck although I have never actually found one in the Carolinas. They are one of the few ducks with claws that enable them to perch on branches and hang on to tree bark. Wood Ducks nest in cavities in trees but aren’t able to make their own cavities, they either use rotted areas in trees or cavities that other birds have built. They also readily nest in artificial nest boxes. A very interesting fact about Wood Ducks is that females will commonly visit other Wood Duck cavities and lay their eggs to be raised by another Female! It is apparently called “Egg Dumping”.