Wood Ducks

I climbed the 15 metres into the canopy to inspect this large nest box, installed in a Parkerville tree in 2010. A few weeks ago I’d seen a pair of Australian Wood Ducks perching on a branch next to it. To my excitement the female began laying, making short visits to the box to deposit one egg per day. My last check revealed 4 eggs... but today I was thrilled to find FIFTEEN, covered in beautiful, soft down feathers. These help to keep the eggs warm while the female is off foraging. Fifteen is a typical clutch size for Wood Ducks, but there is a record of more than 20!! However this is likely to be a ‘double clutch’, laid by two females during the same period; all the eggs in such clutches would be unlikely to hatch.

Keep watching this News section for updates on the progress of these wonderful eggs.