https://imgur.com/a/BAjjXZsHey Luke-
Hopefully this link will open photos of my wood duck houses and wood chips I use.
They do face west and get afternoon sun maybe need to move to west side of pond.
Thanks for the photos! I think your house placement is fine as far as facing the pond. I do the same with mine. As long as the box stays relatively dry in storms, she'll be fine (she's waterproof, but cold and wet nest material can be bad news for brooding eggs).
I see you have PVC pipe predator guards on the shore mounted boxes. What do you see inside the boxes when you inspect them? If you see broken but large pieces of shell, your boxes may be getting raided. I have witnessed mink going right up a pole and into duck houses easy as pie. And once they find a house, they remember it and always come back to check for free eggs. Coons would have a tougher time but sometimes can surprise you with what they figure out. You could consider putting a game camera or two out to monitor your boxes, if you have any to spare (maybe you use them to scout deer, and could use them from March to June on your duck boxes instead).
Is the bedding disturbed? Most hens mold it into a cup shape by wiggling into it with their belly. Shape is about the size of a cereal bowl. Any downy feathers?
How about any shell bits or membrane halves? If you've had a brooding hen (sitting on eggs) she'll have plucked a bunch of her down out and lined the nest with it. Sometimes if they start brooding and get interrupted (mink raid, starlings, etc) they'll leave and do not return. And speaking of starlings, they are the worst. Useless junk bird that will try and take over nest boxes, and even peck holes in eggs they find in the box. I give them no quarter when seen.
Would you say the edges of your pond as seen in the picture is typical for the spring? On the one hand, you have a nice clean water edge as far as I can see. BUT without some flatter shorelines with some more wet land like conditions (emergent plants like cattails or rushes and some duck weed amongst them) I wonder if the hens are rejecting this nesting location due to worries about hatchling rearing without that cover and feed combo they need. I noticed some pine, maple and cottonwood along the shore. Any nut bearing trees, like oak or hickory? It's not a deal breaker in my opinion because the adult ducks will fly where they need to go for feeding. But if the marginal cover and feed is scarce and there are no close food sources for the adults, it may contribute to less takers on your boxes.
Lastly, if the boxes don't seem to have any evidence of being raided, and you don't mind swapping out the chips every season (at least) I would be patient and wait and see. Boxes don't take up much space and can last a number of years with a little regular TLC. The duck hut boxes are awesome and the only sign of weathering on mine is fading of the green exterior color. I have to replace boards and screw together splits on wooden boxes on a regular basis.
Please don't take any of the above as an insult to your pond or property. Your pond and place look fantastic! I am strictly commenting on what wood ducks like about our pond, and nothing more.
Post any questions you have about the above.
