Wood duck houses
- Thread starter bueller
- Start date
woodduck
5 year old buck +
I have a box between the old pond and the new pond that has been out for probably 5 years now and has never been occupied. I had another box I moved around the old pond for a few years but never had any activity either. After I built the new pond I put up a wood duck box and it was used that spring. The following spring I put up another box on the new pond and has been used last year and again this spring. I don't know why some box locations are preferred over others but maybe by moving your box to a different side of the pond or another location may be helpful.
H20fwler
5 year old buck +
The box on the back pond has a hen woody sitting in it.
Cleaned out the hoody box and put fresh chips in it, every egg hatched.
The youngest boy said there was at least ten chicks with hen Saturday, didn't get any on camera and she was nowhere that I could see Monday.
The new box with the mystery egg in it was a surprise, I stuck my phone in it and all hell broke loose. A very mad hen woody was in it on a bunch of eggs...apparently she kicked out whatever was trying to nest in that box and took it over.
Cleaned out the hoody box and put fresh chips in it, every egg hatched.
The youngest boy said there was at least ten chicks with hen Saturday, didn't get any on camera and she was nowhere that I could see Monday.
The new box with the mystery egg in it was a surprise, I stuck my phone in it and all hell broke loose. A very mad hen woody was in it on a bunch of eggs...apparently she kicked out whatever was trying to nest in that box and took it over.
H20fwler
5 year old buck +
Second batch hen in box on back pond, both pics are her just wanted to show all the eggs she is sitting.
So far this year back pond box has hatched one brood, hen sitting on second round.
Front pond hoody hatched one brood and woody hatched one brood so far.
New box front pond one woody brood hatched.
I cleaned out both boxes on front pond Saturday hopefully to get round three in the older box round two in new box. It's been a busy year for nest boxes here, I wonder if some ducks short stopped to nest further south due to the cold spring?
Couple pics from the woody cam on front pond.
So far this year back pond box has hatched one brood, hen sitting on second round.
Front pond hoody hatched one brood and woody hatched one brood so far.
New box front pond one woody brood hatched.
I cleaned out both boxes on front pond Saturday hopefully to get round three in the older box round two in new box. It's been a busy year for nest boxes here, I wonder if some ducks short stopped to nest further south due to the cold spring?
Couple pics from the woody cam on front pond.
bueller
Moderator
I've had zero success with the wood duck house I put up a couple years ago. Recently moved it again hoping to catch a hen's attention next year. So it was quite laughable when these two little guys appeared in our yard last week. They followed the kids around so much that we eventually had to go in the cabin so they would move on and hopefully reunite with their mother who was nowhere to be seen.
H20fwler
5 year old buck +
The State DNR and Boy Scouts can help you out with completed boxes and posts, building the boxes is easy and fun too.
I was just thinking about my woody boxes the other day, getting time to clean them out and replace chips...I've got one predator guard that came loose and slid down the post last fall too that needs fixed.
H20fwler
5 year old buck +
I think any size as long as you have a good predator guard on it, the woody hens with chicks don't stay on my ponds anyway after they hatch that I have seen, I think they head to the river, same with mallard broods. I keep cameras on ponds in spring/early summer and geese with goslings are only ones I get pics of or see.
H20fwler
5 year old buck +
Cleaned out wood duck boxes yesterday, lane was to soft to drive on with all the rain&snow melt so I shouldered the big step ladder/bag of cedar chips and a bucket. I remembered pretty fast why I hate slogging around in neoprene chest waders when it is warm out.
First box I waded out to and opened had a hen hooded merganser already sitting in it. She was surprisingly calm so I buttoned it back up slogged back to the truck so I could get my phone to take a quick vid. It's the same box that a merganser nested in early last spring. The other two boxes just had egg shells and old chips in them but they are ready to go now.
I did flush a few ringnecks and mallards off front pond and a nice group of bluewings and couple geese off the back pond.
First box I waded out to and opened had a hen hooded merganser already sitting in it. She was surprisingly calm so I buttoned it back up slogged back to the truck so I could get my phone to take a quick vid. It's the same box that a merganser nested in early last spring. The other two boxes just had egg shells and old chips in them but they are ready to go now.
I did flush a few ringnecks and mallards off front pond and a nice group of bluewings and couple geese off the back pond.
H20fwler
5 year old buck +
woodduck
5 year old buck +
I just slid my phone through the hole and snap a picture to see it theres any activity in the nest box. If the hen is in there she usually just sits there quietly but will sometimes hiss at me.
I don't have an iphone but I'm guessing you can just sign up at Youtube or Vimeo(easier with their apps imo) and upload them there like I do on my Android or laptop. Then copy/paste the link to a video here in the "Media" option in the dropdown menu next to the "Smiles" above where you type here.
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