This week marked the long awaited return of the wood ducks to Hogsback Acre. "Woodies" are a favorite sight each spring, whether they are roosting in trees or swimming in Sycamore Creek. On March 8th, I spotted a lone male woodie and on the 9th, I spotted a male and female near the nest box which now has a camera inside. This year's return is about 10 days earlier than in 2020 and 2021.
Also returning to Hogsback Acre on March 8th was a pair of hooded mergansers. "Hoodies" are an uncommon sight on Sycamore Creek. In 2021 a pair of hoodies was first seen investigating the wood duck nest box in March and April, then were not seen again until this week. As with woodies, the hoodies are cavity nesters and readily use nest boxes. In fact, hoodies are known to slip their eggs into wood duck nests where the young are raised by the female woodies.
And finally, another uncommon spring sighting this week was a lone brown creeper. Unlike woodies and hoodies, brown creepers are not brightly adorned and easily blend into the background like the one picture below feeding on a large black walnut tree.
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