Here’s another wood duck — this time, just after it lifted off from a pond. Wood ducks get their name because they nest in trees. The females will lay 7 to 15 eggs in the tree cavity and the day after hatching, the ducklings will climb to the nest entrance and jump to the ground. Miraculously, they can jump from a height of 290 feet without injury. Even so, the parents will try to find a tree over a body of water so that the landing will be softer than if over the ground. The mother will call to the young ducklings, but they are able to swim and find food on their own by this time.
Nikon D700 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 800, f/2.8 at 1/1250th of a second