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  I originally made them for Wood Ducks, but have since learned that they prefer ponds to faster moving streams.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