As I was getting ready to leave my daughter’s house after eating huge quantities of food, including turkey, these guys made an appearance! I guess they thought it was now safe to come out of the woods. Anyone tell these birds we also eat turkey for Christmas?!

This may be the last birding photographs for a few days. I just shoveled all the snow from our first true winter storm, and now the weather service has issued a blizzard warning … 12 to 16 inches of snow and high winds expected over the next two days. See you in December.

Post Thanksgiving Turkeys

Turkey Video (video link for email subscribers)

Duluth is still locked in winter, but 175 miles to the south as one exits the Boreal Forest, there are hints of spring. Although lakes are still ice over in the Minneapolis area, the streams that enter and exit lakes have open water and the early arriving ducks are aware of that fact. This morning at sunrise I found a flock of 21 Wood Ducks in a small area of open water. The ratios of drakes to hens made for interesting mating competition. I counted 18 drakes, and 3 hens. When I determined that one hen was already paired off with a drake, you really only had two female birds to be fought over by 17 guys!

Here are a few of my photos. The courting competion allowed me to get much closer than is  normally possible with wood ducks. I was a non entity when love was a possibility! In addition you will find two videos … the same sequence both at full speed and slowed down by a factor of two. The slow motion allows one to better see what is happening!

Community Courting

Early Morning Light

No Means No!

Territory Dispute with a Mallard

Iced Love

Rejected Suitors

Slow Motion Video (by a factor of two)

Full Speed Video