Wood Ducks with ducklings and one imposter, a Merganser duckling among the Wood Ducks.

[@meloneycrews]

That’s awesome Frederick!! Baby anything always puts a smile on my old face!💕💞

[@FrederickDunn]

:)

[@barbaravickroy7563]

Thank you so much!

[@elizabethrogers1152]

Those babies are soooo cute! Just love how they stay swimming up on mama. Lol they're feet gotta be going a mile-a-minute underneath the water.Thanks for taking the time to film Mr Dunn! Happy Father's Day(belated)

[@-Reagan]

I love that adoption exists in nature and the animals treat them exactly like their biological young. I mean, when ya gotta lay an egg on the go and you just can’t stick around to see how it turns out 🤷🏼‍♀️ ya gotta do what ya gotta do! This is super trusting and heartwarming 🤰🏿🤰🏼🤱🏻🤱🏽🤱🏼

[@raymschmidt6032]

They dont know its not theirs. They hatched it, and has their smell.

[@-Reagan]

@@raymschmidt6032 I know, but adoption still happens in nature - with many other animals. In my comment I meant it was trusting of the first duck to lay her egg there. The other mother wouldn’t have recognized her smell on the nest, when she laid the egg and the returning duck would have smelled the other on a freshly laid egg - and when it hatched looking differently, it wasn’t rejected, if you’d have that as a reason to accept or reject. In a way it was trusting. I do know that’s probably something to do with the two species being similar, or that’s developed over time with them living closely. I’m not ignorant. Entirely different species have been known to occasionally adopt other’s young, simply bc they recognize that these are infants, for which they have a mothering instinct. My point was just that we’re not the only species who adopts in whatever way.

[@ricecake3544]

​@@-Reaganchickens actually do that. But ducks are kind of stupid and don't know its not their baby and just decides to keep it. There are a lot of instances where some chickens were unable to lay eggs and were given some by farmers and turns out they were duck eggs and thr chicken has adapted to learn how ducklings behave and take care of it in a unique fashion

[@timothymitchell8310]

Creation and all of natural is truly beautiful and comforting. Thanks Fred.

[@dixsigns1717]

Thank you, Fred, your videos are always a pleasure.

[@FrederickDunn]

Glad you like them! :)

[@lambbrookfarm4528]

Thanks for sharing Fred, just what I needed after a frustrating day on the island. Peace to all

[@628DirtRooster]

It's amazing how fast those little ducklings can swim.

[@628DirtRooster]

Beautiful bird at the end!

[@FrederickDunn]

I have a portrait of that Merganser on the wall, and I agree :)

[@colleenmurphy6529]

Thanks for sharing this with us. It was so peaceful to watch.

[@FrederickDunn]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@BillJutz]

Thanks for brightening up my Monday Morning. We had a small pond near my house when I was growing up. It had Wood Ducks and Canada Geese nesting almost every year. I didn't know they would 'hike' overland to different ponds.

[@billmeeks9860]

Beautiful ducks!!

[@shawnboutersebouterseurban387]

Love how anima loo s in nature will adopt others. Very nice.

[@mountainhobbit1971]

that is so cool Fred. Dang that is a lot of babies! and so cool there is a merganser that is going nto grow up thinking it is a wood duck. LOL! ;-) 'Keep it wild'

[@andrewgray5659]

Fabulous footage!!♥️

[@FrederickDunn]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@carlmarburger7513]

I used to spend a significant amount of time at the Mendota Wildlife Area. The State of California would plant grains in numerous ponding basins and leave it. In the fall, they would flood the ponds for migratory waterfowl to visit. the grain, now underwater, was for them to eat. I saw many different types of ducks and geese. I love their various colorings, but Wood ducks in particular are eye catching.

[@thesunbuney5048]

So cute, thank you for sharing

[@FrederickDunn]

You are so welcome

[@kayleenfeher4341]

[@cristrivera]

Thanks for sharing👍

[@FrederickDunn]

Thanks for watching

[@Darren_Nicola]

Everyone loves ducklings , they definitely have the cute factor , happy Monday 😀

[@SamitaArt]

This video made my day. Thank you for your share 😊😊

[@FrederickDunn]

I'm so glad!

[@weregonnabzzz4648]

Beautiful!

[@angelacross2216]

Now we know where the fairy tale, The Ugly Duckling, originated. Similarly when I had toads in my garden they would come over to wherever I was sitting and serenade/converse with me. I never kissed any of them but I did wonder if I might be missing out on a handsome prince.

[@silverload3622]

Very cool thanks for the share

[@FrederickDunn]

Thanks for watching!

[@Chompchompyerded]

You can often times hold a duck with ducklings in simply by making sure she has plenty of food. I recommend putting out Mazuri Wild waterfowl maintenance diet mixed with waterfowl starter. If you have mergansers, it would be a good idea to mix in a little fish meal. Easy access to food and plenty of cover even near a very small pond that never runs dry will make them decide to stay put until closer to fall, and maybe stay even then. If you have means to keep some of the water free of ice all winter long, you'll often get them staying all through the winter. There will come a time, probably in the early spring, when the mother will drive them off so that she can start a new brood, but waterfowl families will often stay around until the start of mating season. This is especially true of geese which will sometimes nest near older family members, then cresh up the babies and let one be the baby sitter wile the others take a break. These family groups will even migrate together in sizeable family group.

[@FrederickDunn]

Thanks for sharing.

[@iditarod4081]

Is this just there half hour workout? They seem to be getting nowhere fast

[@enricotoesca3941]

I l 😍Ve your awesome videoes 😍😍😍

[@madddog7]

drafting on mom, very cool

[@drewcounts4238]

I saw two wood duck in my pond 2022 i was sad they left

[@FrederickDunn]

They definitely don't stick around for long :)

[@crzrck]

Cavity nesting ducks are well-known for egg dumping. I thought you live too far south for mergansers to nest. Apparently that's not true. Congratulations on your first pair of wood duck you'll have more next year. The majority of them died within the first week because they're so small. They also require a lot of dragonfly nymphs so congratulations for leaving the pond natural

[@FrederickDunn]

I will be sure to keep the nest box ready for next spring, I know they tend to use the same site over and over Annnd inspect during their fall migration. :)

[@crzrck]

@@FrederickDunn lock it up for winter to keep the squirrels out. And don't open it up in the spring till you see them on the pond otherwise you're going to have starlings move in. As crazy as it sounds a starling will keep a wood duck off of her box

[@robertmathurin739]

🇱🇨👍🏼♥️

[@sonofthunder.]

began honey bee democracy ,i finally got a library card,...they have rooftop hives ,for educational purposes,...getting hot here in nw ark