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”.

I have admired the colorful Wood Duck from pictures …..OTHER people’s pictures….for many years. I have frequented areas that were supposedly replete with Wood Ducks and have NEVER seen one.

Last spring I was driving around Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge and out of the corner of my eye, way back in the dark marshy woods, I saw a pair of Wood Ducks. Of course when I stopped to try and photograph the pair of Wood Ducks, they immediately flew away. I trudged through the marshy swamp trying to find them without success. Over the next few days I went back to that same spot multiple times and waited and waited and waited and finally was rewarded with some images of Wood Ducks. They seem to frequent dark areas that are very difficult to photograph and are very shy.

The Wood Duck is one of the most stunningly beautiful birds ever created and I feel fortunate to finally have seen and photographed these colorful waterfowl.