Yesterday was Jump Day for our first clutch of wood ducks this year. We had a good mother and only one. Sometimes two will take a box and you can end up with 2 dozen eggs, but not this year. One mother, one clutch, one dozen. She sat for 32 days. I was so relieved they didn’t hatch during this past week’s cold front. They waited for warmth to return. Only 8 of the 12 eggs hatched. This ratio is typical, we’ve learned.
I wanted to watch the jump, but it was a school day. I kept checking the Ring camera and the mother was calmly cuddling her chicks. At 10:15 I went outside to plan a butterfly garden with my student. Then I packed up and left that school for my next school. Yep, that was when they jumped.
My mother-in-law came to our house for the big event with a book and binoculars. She texted me that 8 ducklings had jumped. Four eggs were left in the box. Enjoy the video from inside the nest box. There always seems to be one that has trouble figuring it all out. We cheer for this little guy.
New Chicks
Gentle peeps echo.
Jumping onto mother hen,
New chicks jitterbug.
Like petals on a pinwheel
fluffy down spins together.
Wood Duck Diary Tanka, Margaret Simon, all rights reserved.
I absolutely love wood duck time at your house and all that you share. The video is wonderful. Those hopping ducks remind me of popcorn! Yay for the straggler!!!
I was ABSOLUTELY cheering for that last little one!
The day I’ve been waiting for!!! Oh, this warms my heart and I was so sad for the little duck – I know mama and the tribe waited on him, right? Was she taking time before she jumped to look for predators to be sure the coast was clear? Fabulous tanka, too. I love that form. And the pinwheels and jitterbug words delightfully describe these babies.
What joy in that poem and watching the chicks jump. I loved “New chicks jitterbug.” I was so happy when the last one finally found his way out.
So glad that you included the video- it was so wonderful to see the process of the little ones figuring out how do it. I was definitely cheering for that last little one- what perseverance. From your poem, the line “new chicks jitterbug” is a wonderful description of the dance in the video.
Oh my goodness. They really do JUMP! Great to see! Thank you!
Oh what fun! I’m so glad that last little guy made it out! I was worried for a minute.
How wonderful, events like this never get old. I especially love the line, like petals on a pinwheel…!