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May 11, 2019
‘Duck Enough to Fly’: 15th Anniversary!
After I saw all the Wood Ducks by their nesting boxes yesterday, I emailed Jerry Barrack, who took the wonderful photos that make the book so amazing.
Jerry wondered if May 10 had been the big day. So I did a little research and found this blog netry from two years ago…
May 11, 2017
The children's book "Duck Enough to Fly" I did with Jerry Barrack and Doug Goodell began with a journal entry I wrote just after Jerry Barrack and I witnessed (and Jerry photographed) the Wood Ducklings making their first big splash at the Celery Farm on May 11, 2004 (not May 10 as had been previously thought).
I realize now that I wrote this two days after Mother's Day, which may explain a thing or two.
I am posting this at 10:05 a.m., which as I recall was when the first baby jumped on this day 13 years ago. I think the journal entry also stands by itself.
Tuesday, May 11 (2004)
The Celery Farm put on its most amazing display this morning, no more than a half-hour ago, and my heart is still pounding.
Jerry and I were standing on the Warden's Watch, logging a few extra minutes of sunshine, when two Wood Ducks flew in, making their high-pitched calls as they glided past the platform and landed on the water.
The male, in beautiful plumage, landed about 20 feet past the nearest Wood Duck box. The female landed in front of it, swam for a moment, and then flew atop the box and looked in.
A tiny head peered out, and the female flew to the water in front of the box.
Then, in rapid succession, little Wood Duck babies appeared at the opening, saw direct sunlight for the first time in their young lives, looked down at their Mom, and like paratroopers taking their first jump, wavered a second at the opening.
Then they each made their great leap of faith.
Although they had never flown or swam, they jumped out of the nesting box and flew/fell the four feet to the water.
Some landed on Mom. Most hit the water directly and quickly nestled up against their mother.
When all nine babies had taken the plunge, they congregated behind Mom and went for their first family baby paddle.
They had just left the dark womb-like atmosphere of the Wood Duck box, climbed the little metal netting up to the hole, and jumped.
They left the only home they ever knew, and they would not return — unless one of them was a female, managed to survive to adulthood, and laid eggs of her own in the box.
I'd like to say that the miraculous moment has a storybook ending, and if I stopped right now in the narrative, it would: Mom and her nine sun-dappled babies paddling merrily together, having left one part of their life behind and embarking on their lives.
But maybe 30 feet away, the calm of Lake Appert was broken by the splash of a snapping turtle's head emerging from the water. Moments later, another turtle's head appeared, then disappeared as well.
Welcome to the real world.
Time cannot stand still, even for precious Wood Duck babies, but the image of those little ducks bravely taking that giant first step will stay with me for as long as there are beautiful spring mornings.
That the moment came less than 12 hours after a violent storm only heightens the contrasts that nature presents.
And now all is calm, and the young ducks learn, in their way, to sink or swim, to fly, and if they're lucky, survive long enough to bring their own little Wood Ducklings into this amazing world.
Happy Mother's Day this weekend!
5 comments
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Congrats on the anniversary! Time sure flies, eh!
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And thank you to Doug as well. Love love this post.
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Just fabulous. Every school library that I taught in after retirement, has the 3 children’s book set. And our grand kids and special kids in my life… and so do I, I signed. Very precious to me. Thank you and Jerry.
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Thanks Jim for your beautiful writing and bringing back such wonderful memories of that magical moment 15 years ago. As I recall, we had just finished a great early morning walk around the pond and decided to squeeze in a few more minutes at the Warden’s Watch before going to work. That proved to be a very wise decision as it turned out to be the most memorable time in my more than sixty years of nature photography. I have been fortunate enough to have seen ducklings take that “leap of faith”, as you call it, on two other occasions about five or six years ago. One was at the same box and one on the western side of the pond, but nothing will ever compare to May 11th, 2004. Thanks to Doug for working on my images and helping put the book together. Of all the books we have produced, Duck Enough to Fly will always be my favorite.
Thanks again for making that book happen and for all the work you do for The Farm -
So glad you brought this out — what a great experience. And so many have enjoyed the book.
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5 comments
Dan
Congrats on the anniversary! Time sure flies, eh!
Sallyt
And thank you to Doug as well. Love love this post.
Sallyt
Just fabulous. Every school library that I taught in after retirement, has the 3 children’s book set. And our grand kids and special kids in my life… and so do I, I signed. Very precious to me. Thank you and Jerry.
Gerald Barrack
Thanks Jim for your beautiful writing and bringing back such wonderful memories of that magical moment 15 years ago. As I recall, we had just finished a great early morning walk around the pond and decided to squeeze in a few more minutes at the Warden’s Watch before going to work. That proved to be a very wise decision as it turned out to be the most memorable time in my more than sixty years of nature photography. I have been fortunate enough to have seen ducklings take that “leap of faith”, as you call it, on two other occasions about five or six years ago. One was at the same box and one on the western side of the pond, but nothing will ever compare to May 11th, 2004. Thanks to Doug for working on my images and helping put the book together. Of all the books we have produced, Duck Enough to Fly will always be my favorite.
Thanks again for making that book happen and for all the work you do for The Farm
Doug Goodell
So glad you brought this out — what a great experience. And so many have enjoyed the book.