Mother's Day Surprise

 On Mother's Day, May 14, April's eggs hatched in the morning.  Knowing that they would leave the nest within 24 hours, Gail and I were glued to the TV monitor.  When they settled in for the night under mom, we knew tomorrow would be the big day.

April leaving her nest box on the 14th to go fishing.

The morning of the 15th, and April is on the ground outside the box calling to her ducklings.  They're very excited and starting to climb out of the box. They all climbed up and out in a period of about one minute.

April is between the duck box and the river, calling to her brood.  Her call was a soft, low, croaking sound. Near the end of the video, you can see the last little duckling free falling from the duck box into the grass. This is best seen by clicking to full screen.

Since we were in the house watching the TV monitor, and there was no good place to view the fledging without the risk of disrupting this critical moment, we thought we might never see them again.  We were very lucky, though, to look down on the river from the road, about 15 minutes after fledging, and see them through all the trees and vegetation and get a telephoto picture.  They had swum about 50 yards up river and through some light rapids. 

It could be that April was the same Hooded Merganser that nested in our box last year.  Maybe we'll see her again next spring.

We were amazed how clean her nest was after about 6 weeks of habitation.  She ate the egg shells, there was no poop, and no smell.  On the left, you can see the grooves I cut into the inside of the box front to serve as a ladder for the ducklings to climb up.

We are in awe of the whole process, and learned a lot first hand.  We are very happy that all the ducks successfully fledged and are together with mom.  Although they can do short dives and find their own food, the mother will stay with them for about the next 90 days.

Trail Cam Photos and "April" Update

 "April" Update 

April 10

We thought April was setting on her eggs, beginning the incubation process, but now we are not sure.  After sitting on her eggs most of yesterday, she covered her eggs completely, and left the box at 3:20 P.M. She has not yet returned, as of 1:00 P.M. today.  This is a more complicated process than I thought.            

Trail Cam Videos

Not sure, but my guesses in order are:  mink, weasel, otter.

   

Canada goose out for a stroll

Holy Merganser!

 Yesterday evening, Gail and I were sitting by the window, watching the river, when she said it might be a good idea to look at our duck box camera TV.  I replied that I had been checking it every day, and nothing was going on. We looked anyway, and wow, there was a Hooded Merganser tending at least 3 eggs.  I had looked several hours earlier and didn't see any.  What was happening?

April 6

After watching her for over an hour, she carefully started covering up her eggs with pine shavings and left the box. It was nearly dark, and after checking for another 2 hours, she didn't return.  I realized then that this probably means she is still laying eggs, but not incubating them yet.  It was as if she was tucking them in for the night, and then leaving the box to roost or hunker down somewhere else. Last year we named our Hooded Merganser that nested successfully in our duck box "April".  Since they often return to the same nest the following year, this could be April.  The eggs will all hatch within a few hours of each other, and then within 24 hours, April will call from outside the nest box, and the ducklings will climb up and out of the box, one by one.  They will be feathered in down, able to swim, and can catch food.  Hopefully, this year will have a happy ending for the nest.

The camera system is a little funky.  It is a cheap analog camera inside the ceiling of the duck box.  A cable runs from the box next to the river, up a steep bank, to the house where it is connected to an old TV with RCA inputs.  In the video, you can hear rain drops landing on the sheet metal of the predator guard. 

Sunday Update

April returned to her nest yesterday evening and has been sitting on her eggs since.  April 8 marks the first day of incubation.  Incubation can last 26 to 41 days. I could see at least 4 eggs at one time, but there could be more that I can't see, as normal clutch size is 5-13 eggs.  The night camera image is clearer than the daytime image because it works using infrared light.  These videos are night videos.

April 9

This is April's nest box along the river below our house.

Nest Box Surge and More!

It has been a busy few weeks for SWIFTY, as we had several big projects to complete before nesting activity takes place later this month.  

We installed 7 Tree Swallow nest boxes on property that is being rehabilitated by the Midcoast Watershed Council.  This location is on North Beaver Creek.

On the same property is a small lake where we installed one of the 5 duck boxes I constructed.

Looking back across the lake you can dee the duck box in the center of the picture.

From left to right are Jim, Carrie from Midcoast Watershed Council, and Marty.

On the same day, we drove over to another Midcoast Watershed property at South Beaver Creek and installed another Wood Duck nest box.  Notice the big herd of elk in the background.

We also installed 6 Tree Swallow nest boxes on this property.

Marty and I installed a 3rd Wood Duck nest box the next day at Beaver Creek State Natural Area.  I nearly got swallowed up by the mud!  

You can see the box at center-left.

SWIFTY members also installed many other swallow boxes at South Beach State Park, Siletz Natural Area, Hatfield Marine Center, The City of Waldport, and other locations.  

This morning, SWIFTY installed these nifty Purple Martin nest boxes that Wally made.  The location is on Yaquina Bay in Newport at the Oregon State University Hatfield Marine Center.  A few days ago, a group of 5 orcas swam by here and up the river, supposedly looking for seal pups.

Wally used a unique design pioneered by a group up in Washington.  Those birds on top are decoys. Marty worked with the Hatfield staff to erect the post, which can be swiveled down for box cleaning and removal.  

Last week, Gail and I had a relaxing day driving up the coast.  We had a wonderful lunch at a Thai restaurant in Depoe Bay.  After lunch, we walked a trail along a stream leading from a nearby park.

Depoe Bay is labeled "The World's Smallest Harbor", and was made famous in the film One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.

We continued north past Lincoln City to an open house at Sitka Art and Ecology Center.  Here, I'm adding my contribution to an interactive traveling art exhibit on how water is important to the participants.  The artist in residence, on the chair, is from the Boston area.
 

Sarah Has A Visitor

On March 27, my sister Sarah, who lives in Anchorage, sent me these pictures of this moose who was chomping on her shrubs.  Sarah nonchalantly sipped her morning coffee, and spoke soothingly to her visitor through her open backdoor.  She figured it was a bull moose due to the 2 scars on his head where he had recently shed his antlers.

Great shots, Sarah!  You are the "Moose Whisperer"!

Steelhead Return From The Sea

 Yesterday, I spotted my first steelhead trout of spring in the shallows just below our swimming hole.  I marvel how they find their way back from the ocean, up the 8 miles of our little river where we live, past numerous people fishing.  Fortunately for the steelhead and salmon, no fishing is allowed in their spawning areas above the 7 mile point.

The view from my perch.

Looks like spawning behavior to me!

Tree Swallow Nest Box Installation At Lint Slough

 Today, Jim, Wally and I installed 7 Tree Swallow nest boxes at Lint Slough in Waldport.  I was the lead on this project, getting approval from the city manager, and Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.  It happened to be the one nice day we will have for awhile, weather wise.  The coast didn't have a speck of snow, but here at the house, we are still slogging through about 5 inches of the stuff.

Wally fastens on the predator guard.

This is a peaceful location popular with bird watchers, hikers, and dog walkers.

Jim and Wally at work.  People walking by gave us happy approvals for our work.

It will be a exciting to see how the swallows take to our boxes in another month or two.  They will be migrating from as far south as the Amazon Basin in South America.

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Big Snow Event

 Eight days ago, last Tuesday, it started to snow. By Thursday afternoon we had 10 inches of snow on the ground, with temperatures dipping down to 24 degrees at night and hovering around 32 during the day. Those first couple days and nights, tree limbs and whole trees were snapping and coming down.  Every minute or so it sounded like a gunshot going off.  Fortunately, our power never went out, thanks in part to underground utilities on Yachats River Road.  It was beautiful, at times spooky, and occasionally fun.  It was also sad to see our beloved big leaf maple tree we see from our living room lose it's biggest remaining trunk.

The following pictures don't need much explanation, so I'll post most of them without captions.  The storms continue today with a wintry mix of snow, sleet, rain, and hail.  Last week we were congratulating ourselves for cleaning up the trails, removing fallen wood and leaning branches.  Now there is a huge amount of tree debris to clean up.  It will be a busy spring.

Wednesday morning, Feb. 27.

Our big leaf maple lost its biggest trunk.  Daisy, Yummy, and I heard it come down Wednesday evening.

The river is loaded with downed trees, and bent over branches.  That should be good for fish habitat.

There's only one big trunk left on the maple.

Good thing I shoveled the driveway on Thursday.  The snow froze solid after a little thawing soon after.  We still have yet to drive out of our driveway.  

Time to dust off the snowshoes...

...and head up the 5300.

Snow shoeing up the 5300 had its obstacles.

We also took Daisy up Bear Scratch.

We took a walk a couple miles down the road on Saturday.

A herd of elk was looking for food.  The bull has just one antler left.

I unscrewed a yardwaste container lid, which made a pretty good sled.

The final run.

We had a little drama this morning.  The school bus normally turns around in the fire dept. parking lot across the street from us, but the driver couldn't make it up the unplowed driveway and accidentally backed off the road onto our property. Cars were blocked in both directions.  There were three kids on board.

Here I am offering no advice.

The fire department emergency vehicle and volunteer from town came to the rescue, hooked his winch up to the bus, and pulled it out.  

I know this weather is commonplace to much of the country, but for coastal Oregon, this was more like a ten year event.  

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