We live on the Bayou Teche (pronounced “tesh”) in New Iberia, Louisiana. Our address/mile marker is 69.4 on the 125 mile bayou. The name came from a Native American word for snake. The legend tells of a huge snake that was killed by arrow and its body made the impression of what is now a water way.
One of our favorite activities on the bayou is our wood duck nesting house. Each year for about 5 years, we have had two clutches of eggs hatch in the box. Jeff mounted a Ring doorbell camera inside the box, so we can watch the mother duck come and go and know when the babies hatch. The very next day, 24 hours, the little tiny hatchlings jump from the house and follow mother duck off into the bayou.
The mother duckling has been sitting for a month now. She’s an experienced mom that has been attentive and dedicated to her eggs. But today is due day, and the temperatures have dropped below freezing, a weird March winter chill. I am worried. I’m hoping they will stay in their safe eggshells for at least another day, so they can jump into milder water.
My head knows that wood ducks have been doing this for generations, so they will be OK. But my grandmother heart wants them all to hatch and all to go off into the sunset, so to speak. This is a screenshot from yesterday as the hen was busy turning the eggs. If you want to watch the Jump Day, we will set up a “Duck Door” camera and record the jump. Last year’s footage is on my YouTube channel linked below.
Reflections on the Teche 
Wow! In another life I want to live in Louisiana and watch wood ducklings take the annual plunge. Your connection as a duck grandmother fretting about the cold was a great image. I’d love to hear about all the other natural occurrences where you and the mother duck were on high alert.
How exciting to be part of the miracle of life! May this be a good year for ducklings.
Absolutely wonderful and fascinating! Thank you for every bit of this slice, I learned so much and got such a pleasant feeling from your video. Although the grandma in me has me worrying a bit now as well!
I love jump day! I can’t wait to watch it again. I love your “grandmother heart” that wants to keep the babies safe. May we all be so well-loved.
I hope they stay warm enough…and make their jump when the time is right! (Love the grandmother heart!)
Margaret, I hope they wait until it’s warmer, too. I just rewatched last year’s jump day. Instinct is an amazing thing to watch. I am fascinated once again how the baby ducklings take their turns to jump such a long way and head straight to Mama duckling waiting in the water. I don’t remember if she quacks for them. I’m used to mallard hens who quack for their ducklings and still sometimes lose one or two along the way. Thank you for sharing.
I adore this, Margaret, being a finch Franna over here currently worrying about the ongoing freeze warnings. Yet I still hear the happy chirpings as always at feeding time. That mama duck turning her eggs warms my heart to the nth degree. These creatures do know what they are doing – better than humans, it often seems. I watched the precious jump day video – it’s just so wondrous. Here’s to the happiest of outcomes for your new brood of grandducks! This whole process is a miracle to me.