I finally made it out to the farm today and saw two pairs of ducks together on the creek. I think they were blue-winged teal.
I then saw an egg shell on a sandbar with no visible nest anywhere nearby. That made me wonder how a duck nest on the ground could possibly survive against being raided by the abundant raccoons in the area.
What is the main reason people put up wood duck boxes?
Is it because they ONLY nest in a cavity, or will wood ducks utilize a ground nest if they can't find a suitable tree cavity?
If I put up some wood duck boxes that do not get used by wood ducks (which I only rarely see at our farm), will other species of dabbling ducks use the boxes?
If I do put up some boxes I could easily drive some posts in my streambed. Would 4-6" of running water keep out the raccoons? Would a pool 3-4' deep keep out the raccoons?
Thanks for any advice from the experts. Our creek is heavily tree lined - so when I do observe ducks living there, I always feel like they are there for protection. If the area is truly a refuge for them, I would at least like them to have a better chance at raising a family!
P.S. If most of the other ducks I am likely to see in southern Kansas are all ground nesting ducks, is there anything humans can do for those species to help protect the eggs and the ducklings?
Thanks,
FishinRod
