I wasn't sure I had counted right when I saw a female Wood Duck with 15 young at Violettes Lock on May 14, but with two other sightings of 17 each now reported, I guess I did. In my sighting, all 15 appeared to be of equal size. Are broods of this size normal for one nesting pair of Wood Ducks? If so, I imagine the fatality rate of the young is very high. Ralph Wall Great Falls, Va.