My Favorite Ducks

     Black ducks and wood ducks are my favorite ducks in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.  Blacks are my favored ones in winter and I am most thrilled with woodies in summer.  Coincidentally, both species traditionally nest in forests of eastern North America, black ducks mostly in New England and eastern Canada and wood ducks from New England south to Florida and the Gulf Coast.  Therefore, flocks of black ducks only winter on Lancaster County's impoundments and larger waterways when woodies are absent from this area.  The lake at Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area is one good lake to see numbers of wintering black ducks 
     Both species of these exclusively North American ducks are handsome, each in its own way.  Both genders of black ducks are dark all over to blend into forest shadows, and large and robust to deal with northern winters.  Blacks have a patch of iridescent purple on each upper wing and white underwing feathers that are noticed only when the birds fly.  Black ducks do look black when on ice or snow, or when seen in the distance. 
     Wood ducks are smaller than black ducks, but again both genders of woodies are dark, which camouflages them in woods.  Drake woodies are colorfully plumaged to compete for the favors of females of their kind.  They have a crest on their heads that gleams green in the sunlight and red beaks.  And they have white and iridescent blue stripes and markings on their bodies.  Female woodies are mostly smoky-gray all over with a white ring around each eye.
     Flocks of black ducks are in Lancaster County from around the end of October to the latter part of March.  Along with groups of the closely related mallard ducks, plus Canada geese and maybe a great blue heron or bald eagle or two, black ducks liven many waterways and impoundments in Lancaster County during winter.  The ducks and geese rest on the safety of water, but fly swiftly twice a day, often at dusk for one of those times, to harvested corn fields to feed on kernels of corn still lying in the fields.  When full, those same birds return, group after group, to the water to rest and digest in relative safety.
     Wood ducks arrive here early in March, already paired and ready to raise young.  I enjoy seeing black ducks and wood ducks on the same waters during that month.  Both species, being cautious for self preservation, usually stay under limbs of trees that extend low over the water, another reason
 they developed dark plumages. 
     If one looks, female wood ducks can be spotted searching for unused tree hollows and wood duck nest boxes along waterways and impoundments in woods and strips of trees in farmland to lay their 12 or more eggs.  The females, and the their mates, are small and lithe in the trees, the body build needed for treetop adventures. 
     Nest boxes certainly have increased woodies' nesting success and numbers.  And people could allow more dead trees to stand along water that woodies and other creatures could use as homes and cradles. 
     Hen wood ducks incubate their eggs for four weeks and by mid-May the fuzzy ducklings jump out of their nurseries to water or the ground and are led to water where they can feed on invertebrates.
  Like all young ducks, wood ducks grow up fast and are full-sized by September.  Now they fatten
up and strengthen muscles for their flight south sometime in October.
     Look for black ducks in winter and wood ducks in summer.  They are beautiful wild ducks with interesting life histories, which helps make local waters more enjoyable through the year.