Hear is some info. on how the wood duck boxes work:
- Well I'm not sure of the dimensions on the box. I would have to ask my Dad. He has made a few himself. Otherwise all our boxes are made at our Feb. metting at MBWA(Macatawa Bay Waterfowlers Assoc.).
- When we put the boxes up we find a tree that is decent in size but small enough where we can saw the top of it off. Then we hang the box just above the top of the tree so we can get at it better when banding. Then we overhang the lip over the back of the box so rain cannot get down the back of the box. After that we install a 4' high section of flashing around the tree under the box so predators cannot get up the tree from underanth. That way they cannot get to the box from the top of the bottom. Sometimes we also add grease to the flashing beause racooms will try to get up the flashing. They tend to not try when they get full of grease
. Then we add about knuckle depth shavings inside the box and screw the top on. Then when we go to band the birds we approach the box with a tree trimmer that we put a spong on the end and taped on and plug the hole prior to bringing the ladder up to the box. Then we remove the lid and band the woody or take info. down if it't a recap.
- We make sure to nots everything we can with the nest and info. on the wood duck. The number of eggs, condition of nest, size of bird, etc... This all gets documented at the end of the year with the band info. When we clean the boxes starting the end of Feb. we also document if the nest was a good hatch, any bad eggs, pecked eggs, any signs of owls, etc...All this info. helps us figure out how birds re with their nesting. Whether they act different to their nest being their young birds, or do they take better care of their nests when they are older birds...Also it can vary by location, and how they change their habits whehter the box is right on the river where it sees more activity. Or whether it's set off the river in a flooding where a bird might take more care of it's nest...etc...
- This is why my Dad has been elected to be in the top 25. Maintaining roughly 190 of these boxes and also banding them takes a lot of time, and also dedication! It is worth it though to know how many Woodies we have provided a safe nest for, and with the couple thousand birds we have banded they also have hatched out birds that have hatched out birds, etc...and it's keeps going...
- To be able to hold a recap banded Woody in your hand that has been to the same box 5 or 6 years consistant and only just hold the bird without it making a attempt to fly is a awesome thing. The fact they know the program, and just let you almost hold the bird makes it all worth it as well!!! The fact they know your not danger, and are smart enough to know your just their for a few minutes and gone is a great feeling!
- Any other questions please feel free to ask! My Dad has spoke at different watefowl group meetings as well. We have been in MDHA's magazine, and also a couple newspapers explaining how it all works as well.
Pat
