2001 Duck Season
I have learned over time that providing habitat for wood ducks takes not only interest, but observation, study, and of course, maintenance. This year has involved substantial maintenance effort as I have learned why in every year after the first one that egg "dumping" occurred. It seems that when the nests are too close together, the hens become confused and may fail to identify the nest they have previously laid eggs in. Another cause is insufficient nesting sites - too many hens and too few nests. I learned this just in time, because I had decided to go on a building spree and add perhaps a dozen more nest boxes. But I read that seven per acre of pond surface is the maximum, so with a pond that is one and one-third acres, I have limited myself to eight boxes. I may add a ninth next year.
I began in March to relocate nest boxes that had no eggs. I have had to wait for two clutches to hatch so I could relocate those boxes, but now I am finished. I have found that even though I have the boxes spaced around the pond, dumping still takes place. I believe that is due to the number of ducks that are attracted to the pond. The table below is a journal that recounts my observations and efforts for this nesting season.
| Date | Comments on pond or weather | Box 1 - built 2001; erected 16 Mar | Box 2 - 3rd year box | Box 3 - 2nd year box; former #5 of 7 | Box 4 - 3rd year box; former #3 of 7; relocated 17 Mar 2001 | Box 5 - original box; former #7 of 7; relocated 10 Mar 2001 | Box 6 - 3rd year box; former #4 of 7; relocated 10 Mar 2001 | Box 7 - 2nd year box; former #6 of 7; relocated 24 Mar 2001 | Box 8 - 2nd year box; former #1 of 7; relocated 8 Apr 2001 |
| 16 Feb | 12 ducks & 7 geese | 2 eggs | |||||||
| 17 | 8 ducks | 3 eggs | |||||||
| 18 Sunday | 12 ducks | 4 eggs | 2 eggs deep in box | ||||||
| 19 | 5 eggs | " | |||||||
| 20 | 6 eggs | 3 eggs | |||||||
| 21 | 7 eggs | 4 eggs | |||||||
| 22 | sleet & ice | ||||||||
| 23 | 11 eggs | 6 eggs | 2 eggs | ||||||
| 24 | 10 ducks & 5 geese | 12 eggs | 7 eggs | 3 eggs | |||||
| 25 Sunday | rain, warm | 15 eggs | 8 eggs | " | |||||
| 26 | 8 geese stayed all day | sitting | " | 4 eggs | |||||
| 27 | " | 9 eggs | 5 eggs | ||||||
| 28 | " | ||||||||
| 1 Mar | " | 13 eggs | 8 eggs | ||||||
| 2 | 71°! | " | sitting | 10 eggs | |||||
| 3 | 45-50°, rain | ' | " | ||||||
| 4 Sunday | same weather | " - 25 eggs | " - 15 eggs | sitting - 14 eggs | |||||
| 5 | " | " | " | ||||||
| 6 | High abt 40°, wind 20 mph+ | " | " | " | |||||
| 7 | " | " - 15 eggs | " | ||||||
| 8 | " | " | " | ||||||
| 9 | " | " | " | ||||||
| 10 | relocated 2 boxes | " | " | " | |||||
| 11 Sunday | 60s & breezy | " | " | 1 egg | " | ||||
| 12 | " | " | " | " | |||||
| 13 | " | " | " | " | |||||
| 14 | " - too many eggs to count | " | " | " - 18 eggs | |||||
| 15 | " | " | " | ||||||
| 16 | erected nest | " | " | 6 eggs | " | ||||
| 17 | 68° | " Added hardware cloth to help ducklings exit nest | " - added hardware cloth | added hardware cloth | added hardware cloth | 7 eggs; added hardware cloth | added hardware cloth | " - added hardware cloth | |
| 18 Sunday | low 50s | 1 egg | " | " | 8 eggs | " | |||
| 19 | low 50s | 2 eggs | " | " | 1 egg | " | " | ||
| 20 | 45°, rain, windy | ||||||||
| 21 | mid 50s, some rain | 7 eggs | " | " | " | 9 eggs | " | ||
| 22 | 50s | 9 eggs | " | " | " | " | " | ||
| 23 | 60s | sitting? no | " | " | 2 eggs | 1 egg | 10 eggs | " | |
| 24 | 72° | " | " | " | " | " | relocated | " | |
| 25 Sunday | low 50s | 14 eggs | " | 17 eggs | " | " | " | " | |
| 26 | 50° | 18 eggs | " | " | did not check | did not check | did not check | did not check | " |
| 27 | low 25°; high 46° | 23 eggs; 1 warm at 5:30 pm | hatch today? no | " | 2 eggs | 1 egg | 10 eggs | 1 egg | " |
| 28 | low 23°; high 57°; male Common Goldeneye (rare) on pond | 27 eggs | sitting at 6:10 pm | " | " | " | 11 eggs | 2 eggs | " |
| 29 | 2" rain | pond too high to get to box | hatched | " | pond too high to get to box | pond too high to get to box | pond too high to get to box | pond too high to get to box | pond too high to get to box |
| 30 | mostly sunny, 72° | sitting | 7 eggs & 1 duckling left - at least 17 lived | " | 2 eggs | 2 eggs | 11 eggs | 3 eggs | sitting |
| 31 | 68°, 1" rain; 22 ducks in morning | " | 1 new egg | hatch? no | " | 3 eggs | " | 5 eggs | " |
| 1 Apr Sunday | 40s and pm rain | pond too high to get to box | pond too high to get to box | have not hatched | " | 4 eggs | " | 6 eggs | pond too high to get to box |
| 2 | low 60s, sun | sitting | 2 eggs | " | " | 5 eggs | " | 8 eggs | hatch? no |
| 3 | mid 50s, .2" rain in sprinkles | " | 3 eggs | hatched - counted 11 ducklings | " | 8 eggs | " | 9 eggs | sitting |
| 4 | 60s; found egg on boardwalk | " | ' - added egg from boardwalk | 6 eggs left; at least 11 lived | " | 12 eggs | " | 10 eggs | " |
| 5 | mid 60s | " | 7 eggs | nothing | " | 15 eggs | " | 11 eggs | " |
| 6 | no chance to check today | ||||||||
| 7 | 87° and sunny | " | 8 eggs | " | 4 eggs | 25 eggs | 12 eggs | " | hatched & gone - 2 dead ducklings & 6 eggs left. At least 10 lived. |
| 8 Sunday | 87° and sunny | " - 38 eggs | 9 eggs | " | 5 eggs | 31 eggs | 14 eggs | " | relocated |
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