In my opinion probably the most beautiful duck and possible most colorful bird in the the North America is the drake Wood duck. Very difficult bird to get the colors to show properly in a photograph as the sun really plays tricks with the iridescence in the feathers.

I was laughing in Washington when I saw them swimming with the Cinnamon Teal. One thing we have plenty of in SWGA are Wood Ducks. I do know when we had a lease in Arkansas and they’d come in, my son and I wouldn’t even shoot. Some boys from Michigan thought they were the greatest thing in the world. But, they thought we were crazy fighting over who shot the Blacks. They look at them how we look at Wood Ducks, they wouldn’t shoot at them. One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.

Definitely my favorite bird to see on the trap line. I kick them up and down the rivers here as they don't seem to want to go too far up/down river

I think Jonathan would be pretty happy with your work. Them are the kind of photos you could sell to a taxidermist for reference.
Very nice.

Mac

Fly tiers love them too!

I agree, probably the most beautiful...I once saw a drake Mandarin duck slumming with some mallards that might give a wood duck a run for the money.

Must be pretty quick to catch them flying like that, around here we rarely see males but a lot of females and they get bred.

Great shots Tray!

Just got this back last week. It was my new pups first retrieve, an October wood duck. Friend of mine mounted it for me

Agree Jonathan would be proud. Keep then coming. Thanks

Love hearing them while flying. That is one of our prettier birds!

Great shots! Thanks for sharing.

Mandarin Ducks are really cool looking birds and I think related somewhat to Woodies, but they are considered non native to North America with most being escaped captive birds.



Nice looking mount, they are a very difficult bird to get to look natural when mounted.

great pic, one of my favorites to hunt and eat.

Great Photo

EXECELLENT CAMERA WORK TRAY You have good equipment I am sure You love doing what you are doing so it only makes sense that you would invest in top of the line gear But you have something much more important and that is a eye for detail and a satisfaction of doing what you do because it is your ability to capture with a camera the same beauty you see without using a camera I n your case the picture does do the subject justice . .Because you know the habitat of the subject and how they use it to their advantage you are able to know what they will likely do before they do And that gives you and edge of getting he kind of shots hat you are after I have 2 wood duck hunting stories from 30 years ago But I will save them for another timeAgain some very nice pictures

Recently in the morning there have been from 2-6 Wood ducks here on my dock on my small pond.

I always enjoy when they return in the spring. Sometimes a mallard will show up.

Thank You, and thanks to everyone for the kind words and encouragement.

Growing up in Central NC wood ducks are near and dear to my heart. If it wasn't for them and hooded mergansers we wouldn't have much duck hunting around here. My first bird was a drake wood duck, my dogs first retrieve was a drake wood duck, my fiance's first duck was a wood duck, etc etc. I will never get tired of hearing "Tooooo weeet" at sunrise and watching them fly through the trees like Tom Cruise in Top Gun.

Great pics as always Tray



Here's my favorite way to see them

Excellent tablefare!