A Mother Wood Duck and her Babies

Yesterday, while crossing  the highway bridge I thought I had glimpsed a large bird sitting on a rock in the river.  I asked my husband to turn and go back so that I could check it out.  It was raining as I hurried down a slope to an observation deck overlooking the rive there.  I didn't see any large bird but I did see a duck with a few little ducklings swimming behind it as they swam around a large rock in the river there. Perhaps it had been the Mother Duck perched on the rock that I had glimpsed when crossing the bridge above it.  I was delighted with such a find!  And although it was raining I didn't care.  I continued snapping pictures of this beautiful duck family and as I watched the mother  duck shepherd her family safely to shore and  I sensed my husband had the same shepherding instincts as he beckoned me to return to  the waiting truck.  As I have titled my blog 'Nature Tales and Camera Trails':I will tell the story of this duck family with the pictures I was able to get . As soon as I had downloaded the photos I could see by the distinctive white eye of the female that it was a Wood Duck.

 

The first sighting I had of the female Wood Duck was of her and a few of her babies rounding a rock in the river

 

Once she was around the rock I could see that she had a sizable family swimming along behind her.

 

It might be a little difficult to count but she has eight baby ducks accompanying her!

After all had safely rounded the rock the mother duck ushered all of the babies ahead of her

Above we can see that the family is headed to the nearby shore.

  All is well that endswell as the babies are no longer in sight.  I assume they have reached and disappeared into the shoreline vegetation.

Rest well Mama Duck!  May you and your babies fare well in the coming days!