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Ducks and a kingfisher

Started by Jeff, September 21, 2022, 12:04:28 PM

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Jeff

Any Duck hunters or aficionados that can help me identify the species that has started frequenting my little woodland pond? I caught them on video this morning briefly.

Kingfisher and Ducks in the forgotten forest pond - YouTube
Just call me the midget doctor.
Forestry Forum Founder and Chief Cook and Bottle Washer.

Commercial circle sawmill sawyer in a past life for 25yrs.
Ezekiel 22:30

WV Sawmiller

Jeff,

   From the looks on that kingfisher's face he was asking "Where's that catfish I left here at the start of the summer? He should be big enough to eat by now." :D

    I love to watch our local kingfishers but they are pretty camera shy and its hard to get a good picture of one.

    I'm not good at duck ID. I grew up in N. Fla and about all we ever had there were wood ducks.
Howard Green
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Dad always said "You can shear a sheep a bunch of times but you can only skin him once

terry f

Wood ducks that you could hear, looks like a cool spot for a trail cam on that stump😊 I'm sure deer and bear also use it 

Old Greenhorn

I was gonna say canvas backs, but that was a long view and I am not a duck hunter. That was my Pop and he loved it. He would leave the house at 4am in the season, spend a couple of hours in his blind with some buddies, then go to the shop at 8:30 and change into a suit.
 Anyway, I am going to up my prior suggestion: You need a bench, a game cam, and a duck blind by that pond. There are few things better than a good roasted smoked duck. Just sayin'.
Tom Lindtveit, Woodsman Forest Products
Oscar 328 Band Mill, Husky 350, 450, 562, & 372 (Clone), Mule 3010, and too many hand tools. :) Retired and trying to make a living to stay that way. NYLT Certified.
OK, maybe I'm the woodcutter now.
I work with wood, There is a rumor I might be a woodworker.

Jeff

I went down to put out a trailcam and snuck up behind that stump and got a couple pictures. Wood ducks! I hope to get some video.



 

 
Just call me the midget doctor.
Forestry Forum Founder and Chief Cook and Bottle Washer.

Commercial circle sawmill sawyer in a past life for 25yrs.
Ezekiel 22:30

Magicman

That is a different colored Wood Duck that I have ever seen. ??
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It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

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Walnut Beast

Pretty cool to see. We had a Wood Duck that had a little family of five that she raised up on our pond this year until they were big enough and then they all left. It's a good feeling that your providing some great natural habitat and get to watch rewards of nature. 

thecfarm

You got some ducks in that little pond.
Talk about being at the right time, at the right place with that king fisher.
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KEC

The kingfisher is a Belted Kingfisher. The ducks that flew off were hard to get a good look at, but maybe woodies. The wood ducks are transitioning from breeding plumage so they look different.  Ducks in eclypse plumage can give you fits. Wood Ducks have a fairly visible white eye ring. Toward the end of the video was a pair of ducks that appear to be mallards. Wood Ducks often make a sort of squeal call when they fly away.

JD Guy

I agree, they don't look like any wood ducks I've ever seen down here. Perhaps blue winged teal. As mentioned, wood ducks make a sound like peeeeeep, peeeeep when flying almost like a high pitched squeal. 

We love to have ducks frequent our pond too. Used to love duck hunting with a passion. Now just watch them fly. I do miss the duck roasted rare with apple slices, and a little Madeira though 😋😋!

terrifictimbersllc

Wood duck flank feathers are the best for fly tying. Always trying to find more. 
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Jeff

I've never hunted duck. Ever, so I don't know for sure, but I bet that would be a kettle of fish if I wanted to shoot one. Probably all sorts of mystery regulations.
Just call me the midget doctor.
Forestry Forum Founder and Chief Cook and Bottle Washer.

Commercial circle sawmill sawyer in a past life for 25yrs.
Ezekiel 22:30

Don P


Magicman

In my opinion, Woodies are the best tasting/eating ducks.

I did much searching trying to make an identification but I never considered seasonal coloration or molting but it seems kinda late for that.  My first thought was Woodies but I still can not match the feather coloration on the hen or the drake.
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

Jeff

I am still failing at getting footage. I have noted a dramatic drop in the frog and minnow population
Just call me the midget doctor.
Forestry Forum Founder and Chief Cook and Bottle Washer.

Commercial circle sawmill sawyer in a past life for 25yrs.
Ezekiel 22:30

Old Greenhorn

OH, that has to be global warming.
Tom Lindtveit, Woodsman Forest Products
Oscar 328 Band Mill, Husky 350, 450, 562, & 372 (Clone), Mule 3010, and too many hand tools. :) Retired and trying to make a living to stay that way. NYLT Certified.
OK, maybe I'm the woodcutter now.
I work with wood, There is a rumor I might be a woodworker.

Hilltop366

I followed a kingfisher around a river for a while this spring but could never get close enough to get a decent picture, I tried paddling in a direction so I could drift towards it quietly but could only get within 500' of it. 

beenthere

Quotedrift towards it quietly but could only get within 500' of it.

Yup, that isn't very close. Wish you better luck. 
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

Jeff


Our pond has become a Wood Duck rendezvous point. They appear to be feasting on the minnows and frogs, of which there were thousands. Very cool to witness this circle of life that exists in our little woodland pond.

I had a heck of a time getting any footage of these guys, as I think they actually post sentries!

Wood Duck Take Over!! - YouTube
Just call me the midget doctor.
Forestry Forum Founder and Chief Cook and Bottle Washer.

Commercial circle sawmill sawyer in a past life for 25yrs.
Ezekiel 22:30

Magicman

Those Woodies are a beautiful sight. 
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

YellowHammer

That so cool.  I've put out wood duck nesting boxes on stakes over the water and had chicks on our ponds occasionally but I don't know if they breed in your area because of potential icing of the pond?  They get kicked out of the nest when the propper age, and need to land in the water, not ice.  

They used to be fairly rare, like bluebirds, but are getting more and more plentiful, and just like bluebirds, there are organizations that build and place nesting boxes on Wheeler Refuge and other water areas.

Here's a pretty good link to Woodies, and some of the pictures seem to match.  

A few of them look like Gadwalls.  Gray brown top, black tail, white belly, mallard like neck, just smaller.  Gads have incredible eyesight and are very spooky.  I may be mistaken but that's what popped into my mind when I saw the video.  Woodies and Gads. I'm not the best at duck ID, though.  

What Do Wood Ducks Eat? Detailed List of Preferred Food. - AZ Animals


YellowHammerisms:

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KEC

I subscribe to "Birds of The World" through Cornells' Laboratory of Ornithology which has more detailed info on birds. I just looked up about plumages of Wood Ducks. I think most, if not all of Jeffs' ducks are woodies; adult males, juvenile males, young of year females and adult females. Little wonder they don't look "right." I once saw a bird that I thought looked like some kind of grosbeak but unlike any I had ever seen. When I described it to a local expert birder, he calmly says " that's a first year male Rose-breasted Grosbeak." 

Jeff

I am just thrilled to have them. This must be the reason I need to keep raising frogs!
Just call me the midget doctor.
Forestry Forum Founder and Chief Cook and Bottle Washer.

Commercial circle sawmill sawyer in a past life for 25yrs.
Ezekiel 22:30

Ron Scott

You have wood ducks, mallards, and black ducks in your video. The larger flock of ducks are mallards and black ducks. They are known as puddle ducks which tip up and feed in the shallow waters with their heads underwater. They are your better eating ducks as compared to the diving ducks which dive fully underwater in the deeper lake waters for their food.

The puddle ducks will frequent your pond to feed and nest along with the wood ducks. Retain any cavity trees around your pond area for wood duck nesting as well as placing a wood duck nest box or two.

You might also get some blue or green winged teal, a much smaller puddle duck, using your pond, when the northern flights start migrating through.

~Ron

JD Guy

Yep can definitely make out the woodies in your video. Agree with the other puddle ducks as well 😁

Nice footage!

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