Life at the Duck Blind
Wandering Aimlessly
by Phil Burkhouse
My entire life I have lived in awe of our most beautiful duck, the wood duck. Our Big Woods critters, other than my wife, that I feel a kindred affection for include deer, bear, turkeys, grouse, and the woody. Each of these critters truly belongs to the Big Woods and captures the essence of being wild and free.
The female woody, like the other aforementioned critters, are rather drab in color and blend in well in nature; the male woody not so much. The female woody is a mottled combination of brown and tans with a white eye ring and throat patch. She has some blue in the wings and is actually quite beautiful in her own right, but the multicolored male is a gaudy combination of both loud and subdued colors.
The male woody has brilliant red eyes with a bill that is a striking combination of orange, red, black, and white. He has a chestnut chest with numerous small, white, vertical spots in the front that is separated from his barred tan flanks by bold white and black vertical bands. His head is a combination of black, white, and blue/greens that are very iridescent. I think I identify with woodies because they enjoy living in remote and secluded places and prefer to be left alone.