Tuesday, April 5, 2005

Wood duck time again This morning, Shivani spotted a pair of ducks flying over the woods. I asked her if they were wood ducks. "They were ducks, that's all I know," she said. "We're they flying faster than mallards?" I asked. "I don't know," she said. "They were ducks. They weren't flitting from tree to tree, like wood ducks." Likely they were wood ducks, though. We sometimes see a pair or two flying over the woods, even before they begin flying from tree to tree to pick a nest site. Today's sighting reminded me that I neglected to check the wood duck nest box on Easter Sunday, as I had planned. So, this evening I carried a ladder to the neighbors' pond, where the remaining ice is badly honeycombed. A 70-degree day today put an end to the ice for the year, at least locally. I could see the top of the nest box was half off. It had split several years ago, but I managed to wedge it into place and it has served fine. Climbing up, I found the hardware cloth ladder had been bent back by something [^] maybe a coon that tried to get in. Something had also chewed around the entrance hole. When I emptied out the soggy shavings, though, I found egg shells, indicating a hen wood duck had pulled off a successful hatch last year. I counted about 10 eggs, piecing some smaller fragments together in an attempt to get an accurate brood count. We never saw the brood last spring, but then they are pretty secretive, and the hens often lead them away from the pond in a day or two anyway. I took the top of the box home, drilled a couple holes and screwed it back in place, after filling the box with wood shavings. OK, I'm a month late, but my nest box is ready, so bring 'em on! In the next day or so, I should have a new feature posted on my website on wood duck nest boxes and the Lake Koshkonong Wetlands Association. I had a great outing with them in February. My nest box is not up to their standards, but it has produced a brood about every-other year, which isn't bad. Next fall, I'll install one of Rick Persson's boxes and do it right. Manwhile, my box will have to do for another season. Later... 10:19:29 PM    comment []