Preparing for the Return of Ducks

 I have been quite busy the past week or two getting the duck boxes prepped for installation. I built a new one for River Song, built mounting setups and predator guards for 3 others, and installed them with the much appreciated help of Marty.  Most of the boxes are in areas of standing water, boot sucking mud, and brush, including blackberries.

This could be "April" and her beau right near my original duck box a couple weeks ago.  They are Hooded Mergansers, and have used the nesting box the last 3 years.  I have a new camera installed in their box and hopefully she'll move in by the end of the month.

This is the new box I built for our property.  I originally made them for Wood Ducks, but have since learned that they prefer ponds to faster moving streams. Instead, we get Hooded Mergansers on the river.

Marty got permission from the landowner of this property to put a duck box on this old mill pond next to the Beaver Creek State Natural Area.  We installed 5 boxes yesterday in 4 different locations.

Our next stop was putting in this box at South Beaver Creek which is a watershed being rehabilitated by the Lincoln County Watersheds Council.  That gives us 2 boxes there.  Each box setup costs about $165 in materials, which the LCWC or State Parks reimburses us for.  Donations provide for boxes on private property.

We put our next box in another wetland, Starr Creek, that is being restored by the LCWC next to Alsea Bay.  Big logs were dropped in by helicopter to slow the water and make it spread out, creating habitat for juvenile salmon to feed and shelter.

A lot of log placement and plantings of native trees and shrubs went on here. You can see our duck box way in the back.  It will be interesting to see how this area evolves.

Here is a link to a short video of this project, and another in an area further inland.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wk_Jf3XTyVs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Jh5RE22SO0

Nest Box Installation With The 4H

 On March 2nd, Wally, Jim,  and I met with the 4H group and some of their parents at the Elk Forage Meadow down the road to install the new Tree Swallow boxes the kids assembled with us in February.  

My plans to organize into teams and have all the kids share in using the tools pretty much went out the window, in part, thanks to the Pacific Tree Frogs in the meadow.

That's Candi, the 4H leader, on the right.

We took down the 14 old boxes that had served the last 14 years, and put up the new ones.

Wally helps a member attach a new box.  Wally turns 80 this week!

It was a fun, if not a little chaotic, morning.  I look forward to having the kids monitor the boxes with me, occasionally, when the swallows start nesting.  We may also do a photography class in the meadow, too.

SWIFTY, Working With The 4H Kids

 Today, we (SWIFTY) started working with our local 4H group building Tree Swallow nest boxes to replace the old ones in the Elk Forage Meadow that I monitor 2 miles down the road.  I introduced a poster making project for the kids to do in which they pick a topic, create a teaching poster at home, and then come back and show it to the group.  We discussed the topics and it was gratifying to have them offer their thoughts and add to the discussion.  After about 30 minutes, Wally, Paul, and I, helped the kids drill and screw the boxes together.  We had previously precut the pieces to spare the kids from losing fingers.  In a couple weeks we will take the group out to the meadow and install the 15 boxes in a roughly mile long trail.  Besides Wally, Paul, and me, there were about 15 kids, several moms, and Candi, the 4H leader.  Later in the season, when there are nestlings, Candi would like us to do a photography class with them. I must say this was a fun day and reminded me of why I liked teaching at Napa High.

At work in the Lion's Club building in Yachats.  Candi also has archery classes for the kids in this building.  She is a brave soul!

Wally on the left, and Paul on the right.

I brought a wood burner so the kids could put their names or initials on their assembled boxes.

It was a fun day, and no lost blood or burned fingers!

My Great Grandfather

 The other day I was looking through a chest full of memorabilia and found this framed picture that my grandparents on my mother's side had in their home.  It was of my Great Grandfather George T. Clark, one of the most famous librarians in the State of California.  Besides being a library director at Stanford University and the San Francisco Public Library, he was the author of an extensive biography of Leland Stanford.  He dedicated the book to my mother Ann Williams.  I think his literary genes were passed on to my daughter, Andria Williams, a talented author in her own right.

George T. Clark at work at the Cecil H. Green Library, the main Stanford University Libray that opened in 1919 after the smaller original library was destroyed in the 1906 earthquake.  This library was severely damaged in the Loma Prieta Earthquake in 1989, a quake I felt in Napa.  It was rebuilt at a cost of many millions of dollars.

Cold But Beautiful

 January was icy cold, but clear.  The past two days have been milder, but still around freezing most of the day, with snow!   The snow has not been that much, but it sure is pretty.  We had a special show this morning with elk just across the river outside our windows, with trees laced with snow.

Elk, as seen from our back door this morning.

A closer look.

The back deck not looking too summery.

The lower deck, designated a power spot by Jerry.

Yesterday, we hiked up the USFS road that starts from the end of Yachats River Road.

A few days ago we hiked up above Keller Creek and saw this alder that had deep bear scratches on one side, and elk antler rubbings on the other side.

More antler rubbing.

Moss sure likes to grow on big leaf maple limbs.

For the past couple months this Hermit Thrush has spent a part of each day engrossed in his reflection, causing him to peck at the window.

A raccoon swimming down the river in the middle of the night last night.  Note the temperature of 33 degrees.  They are tough animals!

Day Stalker

 This is the same location where the raccoons were partying a few nights ago.  

Great Blue Heron

Party Of Four On The River

Yesterday, I moved a trail cam to our duck box area on the river, and this morning saw last night's action on the camera.  I didn't know that raccoons willfully swim.