Ruffed Grouse 001

Last week I mentioned that ruffed grouse usually pick the same drumming log for life. Well whenever you think you have wildlife figured out they will fool you. Rusty picked a different drumming location.

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Ruffed Grouse 002

It is a very photogenic one so I am happy and I saw two female grouse not far from the log so Rusty is also happy.

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Wood Ducks 001

I spent another beautiful morning in the wood duck blind. Using a headlamp to find my way, I crawled into the blind at 4:30 a.m. The sound from the frogs and spring peepers was deafening. I can’t believe something that small can make that much noise and to think that they were frozen just a month ago. Several frog varieties spend the winter under the leaf litter on the forest floor. They have a chemical in their bodies that allows them to freeze. Their heart even stops beating. Come spring they thaw out and hop back into the pond and start singing. We live in an amazing world.

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Wood Ducks 002

The wood ducks came flying in about 4:45 a.m. Just before that two barred owls serenaded me with their (who-cooks-for-you, who-cooks-for-you-all) calls. They were just across the pond directly in front of me. It sounded like a male and female talking back and forth so they must be nesting nearby.

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Wood Ducks 003

My attention went back to wood ducks as a dozen or more landed on the pond. I always enjoy watching them stretch their wings.

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Wood Ducks 004

When the sunlight peeked through the trees the iridescent green feathers glowed on their heads.

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Wood Ducks 005

This one came within 10 feet of the blind.

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