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Nest Box Update

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On April 24, just over a week ago, I wrote about the two wood duck nest boxes we put up on our property. The box we put on the back edge of the pond is visible from our house and with our binoculars we've been able to watch ducks, sparrows and swallows checking it out.

Nest box on the edge of the pond

We're not experts on monitoring nest boxes of any kind so after doing a little research we discovered that the boxes should be checked in the morning to help keep raccoons away. I assume this is because the scent we leave behind will have a chance to dissipate before the racoons come out in the early evening. So every morning I have checked on our two boxes. The one on the edge of the marsh hasn't seen much activity yet but I'm pulling a huge wad of twigs, feathers, etc. out of the "pond box" that the house sparrows are trying to take over. Thursday morning I mistakenly thought the box was empty and when I started to open it a female wood duck flew out! I took out the half-completed sparrows nest and didn't check it for the rest of the day. Apparently I missed something.


I took this photo yesterday morning of four eggs and when I was sure the box was empty this morning--it's safe when the sparrows are flying in and out of it--I checked it and now there are six eggs!! I'm a little confused at this point because I'm not sure if this is a lone duck or a couple of ducks laying eggs in the same box. I'm not even positive they are all wood duck eggs because a female merganser has been checking it out also and from what we've read, it is possible for woodies and mergansers to lay eggs in the same cavity. One thing I am sure of is that I haven't had this much fun in a long time. I go to sleep at night and wake up in the morning  thinking about ducks.
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