Caring Stewards Value Spring Cleaning…

St. Patrick’s Day is an important time at the Baker Woods Preserve. While there are, to be sure, festivities related to our Irish heritage it is also an ideal time to prepare for spring migration. Annually, at about this time of year, we inspect and clean our wood duck (and other bird) houses / boxes because the wetland ice is still viable for skiing and the snow is not too deep for hauling nesting boxes and necessary equipment.

Did you know that wood ducks are considered a “perching duck” based on their preference for nesting in tree cavities? Baker Woods Preserve’s many wetland and riparian locations provide ideal nesting habitat for myriad waterfowl, but there can be lots of competition from other creatures for natural tree cavities preferred by wood ducks. That is why we provide artificial cavities for several bird species including wood ducks. These artificial cavities can both attract and protect nesting ducks.

Below are photos of us transporting and installing new boxes and inspecting, cleaning and adding wood shavings to existing boxes.

The eggs shown in the photo are from a failed clutch. There was no sign of predation as the eggs were still intact. Perhaps this year mama duck will have the luck of the Irish.

There is nothing we’d rather be doing.

~ Matt, Linda and the BWP Stewardship Clan