a couple random questions and thanks for hosting this and making the video again.
-where is the male during this process?
-does male have to 'accept' the chicks in order for them to survive?
-Do they hang out at your pond for a while or do they disappear?
-I guess they can't fly so do they walk out into the woods? or do the little ducks eat out of the pond like mallards do for a while?
The drakes will come by the nest box morning and evening and wait for his hen to come out for her short feeding run. They hide or leave the rest of the day. But after about 2 weeks, the drakes dissappear for the rest of the summer. The drakes are not involved with the hatchlings at all. I've never seen a drake with a hen and hatchlings in the 7 years we've been here.
From my literature research on woodies, they don't pair mate for life, like Canadian geese do. Just for the season. If I recall the study, they were tracking banded pairs, so could make this determination.
We rarely ever see the hen and chicks again. And (surprisingly) she DOES walk them everywhere. We've seen a hen lead her gang hundreds of yards to our neighbors pond, up hills, across Ag fields, through thick grass. The day old chicks keep up no problem. Wood duck chicks are FAST, both running and swimming. Makes sense, when the whole wild world is trying to eat you.
The chicks are omnivores and focus on small floating plants like duckweed and small insects. And they hide and forage along the shoreline. Probably gives them the best options for escape depending on the hunter.
