Our Southern Basin Watershed Manager, Rachael Rosenstein, and Riverkeeper, Brandon Jones, recently had the pleasure of meeting “Baby Duck,” a beautiful young wood duck under the care of Ann, a Lake Wateree shoreline resident. 

Ann placed wood duck boxes near her home to provide a house for these stunning waterfowl to live in and enjoy her property. Last season, females abandoned their nest, leaving eggs behind on Ann’s property. Ann tried to save them, caring for the eggs in an incubator, and one survived: Baby Duck. 

Wood ducks are unique because unlike most waterfowl, they perch and nest in trees and are comfortable flying through woods. They live in wooded swamps, where they nest in holes in trees or in nest boxes, like Ann’s, put up around lakes. 

Ann has dedicated considerable time to her property, ensuring there is ample habitat so that wildlife can thrive. Being on the shoreline, it is important to have native vegetation to prevent erosion, and provide habitat, food, and shelter for all of the critters, including ducks. 

Wood Ducks, like Baby Duck, once faced an uncertain future as the population of the species was in decline in the late 19th and early 20th century due to habitat loss and hunting. Thankfully, the wood duck population has increased in recent years. While they are no longer a species of concern, they still face threats in the wild including wetland loss, habitat loss, and deforestation. 

We look forward to watching Baby Duck grow and seeing other wood ducks thrive on Ann’s property! 

Are you interested in adding vegetation to your own Lake Wateree property? Be on the lookout for registration links this fall to sign up for the shoreline restoration projects on the Lake in the Spring. Spread the word to those who may be interested! 

Want to see more birds from around the basin? The 2024 Birds of the Basin calendar is in production! Keep an eye out for it in the coming months.