Burning red eyes - hundreds of ridges in place of teeth - and webbed feet. Yes, the Wood Ducks are back to the Sunshine Coast, and in order to celebrate their return Ruby Lake Resort is hosting the 5th Annual Wood Duck Festival. Oh, and the ducks aren't ferocious ravening beasts. I promise.
Just like mallard ducks, the male gets all the flash while the poor lady has to be camauflaged. Green head, purple face and white racing stripes make the wood duck a flashy bird to have around. The male and female have met the previous Fall, and wintered with the other "snowbirds" from Canada. Of course they come back to the Sunshine Coast (and other places) because this is a great area to raise a family. Good medicare & such.
Ruby Lake Resort is beautiful when the Festival takes place (May 2), as well as the rest of the year. Sitting on the waterfront, it offers breathtaking views, so it's no wonder the Wood Ducks make the long trip here. On this their festive day, they can take part in tours, hikes, activities for children/ducklings, shop at the craft booths, listen to live music and guest speakers from environmental authorities, or even enjoy the outdoor BBQ lunch (no Wood Ducks will be on menu). It's a great occasion to learn about and take part in the environment, as well as just have a great time.
After the Festival and a long hot Coastal Summer, the adult Wood Ducks and their new ducklings-in-law will take flight South again. The destination? Cuba, the Bahamas, and parts of Mexico. Most readers are allowed to be jealous at this point. The female Wood Ducks have extreme site fidelity, so the next Spring they'll be flying back to the very same spot to start another generation and enjoy the 6th Annual Festival.
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Charmed by two pairs of wood ducks nesting near the lagoon at his newly-purchased Ruby Lake Resort, co-owner Aldo Cogrossi incorporated a protection and conservation program as part of the resort’s mandate. As a result, from just two pairs spotted in 1993, the wood duck population on the lagoon expanded to 26 pairs in 2002.
In 1994 the Cogrossi family in 1994 launched the first Wood Duck Festival as a celebration of wilderness and wildlife in the area. Musicians, craft and food vendors, children’s entertainers, and hordes of families descended on the rustic resort on that first Sunday in May for what became an annual tradition.
The 2005 Festival is scheduled for May 1 - hard on the heels (and just a short drive from) the Wooden Boat festival at Madeira Park. With more music, food and family fun this promises to be an exciting weekend for the Pender Harbour area.
At the 2004 Festival, the Society members announced plans for construction of the Iris Griffith Field Studies Centre. Named after a local ecologist and designed using innovative construction techniques and sustainable practices, the centre’s focus is on excellence in the study and appreciation of the natural world. It is scheduled to open in the summer of 2005.
Don't miss these beautiful birds as they are celebrated in a beautiful part of the Sunshine Coast! They should be joined by feathered friends ranging from mallards to cranes to bluejays. None of which are very scary. At all.
For more information, contact woodduck@rubylakeresort.com
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