Wood Duck houses along the trail

 I stopped by the trail in daylight to see what I miss while running at 4:30am.  A pond I pass, usually lit by moonlight, had these little structures. I crawled down the edge of the trail to take this shot, only to scare away all the ducks. However mosquitos greeted me heartily.

From Ducks Unlimited:

"In precolonial times, the wood duck was likely the most abundant waterfowl species in eastern North America. Unfortunately, their distribution within densely settled regions made them readily accessible to market hunters throughout the year. Overharvesting, coupled with the destruction of bottomland habitats, drove these colorful birds to the brink of extinction by the early 20th century. The dramatic rebound of wood duck populations since that time can be largely attributed to protection provided by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918. However, the recovery of the wood duck was also assisted by the advent of artificial nesting structures, or wood duck boxes."