[ducknazi]

Wandered out back last night. mama goose has added another egg to the nest. Saw a woodie standing on top of one box.

As I was crossing the dike , something caught my eye. woody ducklings. Mama was about 10 yards away from them acting hurt. Pretty sure there were about 9, as counting a bunch of moving bodies was tricky. mama finally showed herself fully on the other side of the marsh where they all got gathered up and I gotta check for sure with binocs, but I think they're hooded mergansers.

If thats the case, it kinda bites, but atleast 2 out of 3 boxes got ( or are getting) used.

DN

[Duckpoor]

Cool deal having young ones in your marsh.
Mr Burton subscribes to the "if you raise some in your boxes you should put out more boxes " as the little one can /may come back home to try their hand at brooding.
We have seen this at our lake where they just Like one area and continue to use it yr after year and claim as many boxes as are available.

rg

[ducknazi]

Snoopin out back last night with Father in law and encounterd atleast 18 woody ducklings (little buggers sure are hard to count) Only saw one hen, but another could have been easily in the brush. Seems like an awful lot for a little box.

What a great spring at Hawk Run- Mama goose still on 5 eggs, a brood of hooded mergs and atleast one big brood of woodies. Pretty sure I have a hen mallard in the henhouse or atleast in the neightborhood. Damn fine rate for 3 boxes, 1 henhouse and a goose platform (not being used)

DN

[speckslayer]

It's a neat deal watchin those woodies nest in your boxes, the 3 I have around my pond are used all summer long. Actually have more than one hen use each box over the summer. Hardly ever get a chance to see the little ones though, moms always lead them off after they hatch out.

[ducknazi]

Seems a few of the Mergs are Awol. Snapper or maybe an eagle the farmer saw perusing the neighborhood.

Speck- Will the woodys nest several times all summer? that seems to be getting a lot of bang for the buck with 3 boxes.

DN

[speckslayer]

Hard to say if its the same hen renesting after losing her clutch or a new hen, but my boxes stay full all summer.