Duck box time

[Wingman]

The hens are looking now. Time to get 'em put up and/or cleaned out. Fresh cedar shavings found in the pet section at wally world about 4" deep is what they need. Toss out the old eggs and wasp nests so the wise old hens that lay first will have a good home in a few weeks. Once they hatch clean them out again for the young gals who will lay as late as June.

[Wingman]

If you don't have your boxes cleaned out yet (I don't) don't delay!!!! Talked to a man tonight after church who said he has a duck laying in his backyard boxes already!

Never heard of a woody laying this early, but it won't be long before the majority of them join suit.

[merlebo05]

I would like to follow along and help someone if anybody needs someone to tag along and help!! I would be interested in getting involved in this sort of thing and learning more about birds..

[Don Miller]

It's also time to get your martin houses cleaned out. Scouts will be showing up in a week or so.

[happyhollowchopper]

most of ours already have eggs in them too

[Wingman]

[DanP]

[Wingman]

The duck and bb boxes are high and dry. It's the warbler boxes that are making good fish structure right about now.

[happyhollowchopper]

We can shoot our limit of ducks while we are there right

[Hays Creek]

good set of plans and advice on placement: http://www.ducks.org/media/Conservation ... _plans.pdf

[Wingman]

Okay, update on "Early Bird".

Landowner checked the box sometime late last week and found eggs but no down in the nest. 13 eggs were in box Tuesday afternoon at about 4:30 and the eggs were all covered with shavings and down. Checked it today about noon and there were 16 and they were uncovered. They normally lay one egg per day, so unless she laid an egg late Tuesday afternoon after I left, I'm afraid we have more than one hen using it.

Hope not but we'll see.

I cleaned out 10 boxes today at Sky Lake and found no nesting activity in those. One box did have the fresh remains of a small bird, so I'm pretty sure a screech owl is using that one. Another pair of boxes that had a screech last year in the west box, had a screech in the east box today.

Cleaned out about 8 bluebird boxes and found no fresh activity there. Won't be long!

[Wingman]

Found one box on Sky Lake today with 11 eggs in it and they were covered with down.

Watched a pair of bluebirds going in and out of a box today. Opened it up to find several wasps, yellow jackets and one cold bumblebee.

[Deagle]

I've noticed a pair of bluebirds readying a box here at the house.

[riverdog]

Hello, I am riverdog. I started the Alabama Woodduck Nesting Association three years ago and we like to have our nesting material in by the end of hunting season. Most of our houses have had eggs for almost three weeks, some hen have taken to the boxes later than that but not a high percentage. I find the easiest way to change out nesting materials is after i finish hunting. I try to do any in the close to the area i am hunting that morning it doesn't seem to be so much like work when you do them a few at the time. Happy nesting

[Wingman]

Riverdog, what area of AL are you in?

Our ducks here (NW MS) don't seem to hit peak nesting until about April. That said, I put up some boxes late spring last year thinking it was way too late for ducks and I had ducks in them in June.