Yeah, I Can Finally Include Wood Ducks~

Wood Ducks, are such beautiful creatures and though I have tried to view them many times, I have always failed, even when there are evident Wood Duck nesting boxes.  I had watch care over two of my grandsons for the day yesterday.  I took them shopping, I took them to lunch, I took them to the play park, and then...I took them to Henry's Ark, a petting zoo, near where we live.


Mr. Henry Wallace was the owner of over 600 acres in Prospect, KY, before his passing away, and he began this outstanding private petting zoo many years ago.  When I first met Mr. Wallace, he was riding a very large Dromedary, and he allowed me to take some photographs.  He later would invite me to come to his farm and took me on a very interesting tour of his home and grounds.  There were animals, of all sorts everywhere, in the home and on the grounds, and all well taken care of.  Mr. Wallace had been a former correspondent for several of America's leading newspapers, as well as for Time magazine.

There are many very fascinating stories that went along with the life and times of this man as well as the time that has passed since his death several years ago.  I enjoy going to visit the farm either alone, or with children tagging along.


While visiting the farm yesterday, right away, I got happy, happy, when I saw the female Wood Duck and 3 ducklings, but where was the male.  My grandson Thomas, kept insisting that "there it is Nana, in the grass."  No Thomas, that is a Black Swan, and he would say it again...oh my, Thomas was right.  It was just along the shoreline, backed into the grassy area and I was just very happy, for these were on my birding wish list for a very long time.  The male did not want to co-operate very much, but with my 70/300 lens, the images did fairly well.  While I was photographing, along came another female and she had two ducklings with her. I plan to visit again hopefully this week and see how close I can view this family again~