Was watching a muskrat swimming in the grass along this creek just upstream of a beaver dam, waiting for him to get closer, when I caught movement in my peripheral. First it was 2 ducklings at about 15 feet, then the rest with mom leading the way.....wood ducks !! To have wood duck in the wild so close is very rare, but never have been this close to the ducklings. Wood ducks are so secretive, steathy and very wary, so this was a very special moment. They nest in tree cavities, so it must have been a bit crowded with 9 young ones sharing a small hole, though they do leave the nest very soon after hatching.
The hen did spot some movement, but it wasn't enough to alarm her, though she did keep a eye on me. They milled about for a short time eating and working their way downsteam. Unfortunatly, only had this small window through the grass to get a clear view with the camera, but very thankful for the experience........don't know where the muskrat went though - maybe next time