Ducks in Trees?

Ducks in trees?

A pair of Wood Ducks at Audubon Woods Preserve

Absolutely!  Several species of Michigan ducks can commonly be found in trees - not only do they perch in trees, but they also nest in cavities in trees!. 

Cavity-nesting duck species include the Bufflehead (Bucephala albeola), Common Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula), Common Merganser (Mergus merganser), Hooded Merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus) and Wood Duck (Aix sponsa).  Of these five species, only the final two species are year round residents.  The first three species are migrants and winter visitors to Mid-Michigan, but migrate further north to nest.   

Of the two year-round residents, I have never seen a Hooded Merganser in a tree.  I have seen Wood Ducks in trees many times, including last week at Audubon Woods Preserve.  While waiting for students to arrive I observed a pair of Wood Ducks landing in a nearby tree.  The ducks were aware of me, but didn't startle and fly away immediately. 
 
Instead, they remained in the tree for several minutes.  Long enough for me to retrieve my camera and photograph them for nearly two minutes.  There were many tree branches in the way, but I still managed to get several clear shots of both the male and female before they startled and flew deeper into the woods.

A Wood Duck drake is much more colorful than the drab colored hen.

 

The hen's dull colors help camouflage it much better than the bright plumage of the drake.

These two Wood Ducks were probably searching for a nesting site such as an old woodpecker hole.