Every September the wood ducks return to my back yard pond - probably because I provide feed for them twice a day (mixture of whole wheat and gamebird pellets). On Sept. first there were 6 but the number has grown to 125 -150! They stream in in small groups just as it begins to get light in the in morning, eat their breakfast, lounge around all day and then leave in the evening after their dinner. They never get very tame and always flush when I take out the feed. After circling a few times they come raining back to the pond in a fashion that makes it too hard to count them. It is quite a spectacle. Even though they are devouring 150 lbs of feed each week I never get tired of watching them. They even invade my bird feeder which is near my deck, and some have taken a liking to suet. There is a large number of juveniles and the mature drakes are now in full breeding plumage. I love it!
Bob Kothenbeutel
Woodinville