Happy Spring! This month is a great month for birding in the southern hemisphere, and also the perfect time to see newly fledged birds.
Speaking of which, your pin-up this month on your Bird’s-eye view calendar is the Australian Wood Duck (also known as the Maned duck). I took this photo of a beautiful mumma wood duck and her duckling at our local park. Although I tried to keep my distance, she was understandably quite skittish and wary. There were four ducklings and parents at the time but I didn’t manage to get them all in the one frame or in focus!
I’ve been seeing lots of queries and photos in online bird-related groups asking why there is a wood duck in a tree? Did you know that wood ducks nest in tree hollows? So if you see one in a tree, and they can be noisy and attract attention, they are probably nesting or looking for the perfect tree hollow. When they aren’t in trees, they are a fan of local parks, lakes, and dams, so you may see some in your travels.
On the topic of calendars, I have five 2026 calendars left – have you ordered yours yet? There aren’t any wood ducks featured, but there are some pretty cool birds like spotted pardalote, nankeen kestrel, and eastern spinebill. Calendars are AU$25 each plus postage (Oz only). You can order direct from me or my Etsy shop.
Thanks for reading and following along. I hope you enjoy the beginning of your Spring and see lots of ducklings and other birds!