“There is motion at your wood duck house.”
It comes as an alert on my phone. I can’t help but look.
Two weeks ago, we set up the wood duck house that my husband had made. The next day a hen came.
We placed a Ring doorbell camera on the roof of the house, so anytime there is motion, the device records a video and sends it to my phone. Incredible technology!
Incredible nature!
I marvel at how this bird knows exactly what to do. For the last two weeks, she has come into the house daily. In the morning, she flies in, rearranges the furniture, and lays a few eggs. Then she leaves.
I’ve watched each day, and if she didn’t cover them up with the shavings, I can count the eggs. The count approached a dozen.
I’ve been posting updates to my Instagram and Facebook accounts. I wrote the first post about the house here.
Last night as we were having dinner, my phone buzzed. This was unusual to get an alert at night. And the alerts continued.
The wood duck hen came in at 7:09 last night, and she’s still there!
Now we count 29-31 days to hatching. But the big day is the day after hatching when the baby ducklings climb up the side of the box and JUMP! If it’s a school day, I will have to call in sick.
This process is so amazing! And you are right about the technology – who would have thought! I can’t wait to see them!
Love this progression and the way your story has unfolded. I had to look up wood ducks to see if they live in our cold neighborhoods. So interesting that they lay a “clutch” and then incubate them.
So glad you have this technology to watch and wait with the mama duck! New depths to “nesting”!!! ❤
OH my gosh- this is amazing. Thank you for sharing this story (and incredible video too) in your slice. Love it!
Hooray! I am really excited. I love the combination of technology and nature here, and the way they complement each other. I, too, would take the day off to watch the ducklings jump!
I clicked to your blog from Mary Lee’s post about Laura’s poetry book so I could follow the book tour, but I’m so glad this post popped up first. What delightful fun! When I heard the mom plop onto the nest, I worried that she might break some eggs. I’ll be watching for updates.
So cool that you are following this and sharing with the rest of us–thank you!
This is so awesome! The camera makes it extra amazing. I want a wood duck house now! I think we should all take a sick day when the ducklings hatch. 😉
Oh my, YES you you will be calling in on JUMP DAY! You have too many of us watching and waiting from afar! Love how technology allows you to share this with us.
This is so wondrous.. and to think that technology has made it possible for you to be “right there.” Definitely you must be there for the “jump day.” Missing that would be like missing a family member’s graduation. 🙂
This is the best! I’m so excited to follow along. Jump Day is going to be amazing!!!
This is amazing! Thank you for sharing this. How fun! It makes me want to go and set up a bat box or a bee hive – both of which we have been wanting to do! Inspiring!
This is so cool! (And a wonderful use for a Ring doorbell!) I’m looking forward to following your story of wood ducks as they hatch and jump! (Definitely, you should take the day off work…it should be just like a snow day.)
[…] very next day. It took her a few weeks to lay the eggs and begin sitting on them. I wrote about it here and […]