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	Name:	bluekatz -
	Subject:	Wood Ducks
	Date:	2/18/2009 12:45:14 PM

I'm on Lay Lake large open water and believe it or not I had never seen a wood duck on this lake. I have seen gobs of geese, millions of mallards, countless coots, and one lone loon. Wood Ducks love swamps and wooded areas and are very shy. They hate people, dogs, racoons, and Georgia water lawyers. However during the spring all rules change and they fan out everywhere looking for a tree with just the right size hole.. problem is.. you guessed it... nesting habitat just isnt what it used to be... so when she spots your wood duck nest box, yep - she homes in on it like a predator drone to a Taliban campfire. I first put mine up last year around the middle of February... no activity till the end of March when I first noticed a female wood duck bonzai into the box. The male would show up just after daybreak and whistle her out of the box... then they would swim around awile (male wood ducks are hands down the most beautiful bird in Alabama). The male wood duck would return about every 4 hours and call her out..this went on for a month and then it was all over. The book say's the ducks usually return year after year to the same nest box so I guess a big Welcome Back is in order to the couple currently filling my box with eggs... if you havent given it a try - go for it... just google Wood Duck Nest Box and read up.. also they're are some very afordable kits available on the internet... it well worth it... I'll upload a photo of mine... it's kind of like Purple Martins - build it and they will come!

Kevin

p.s. As to Loons I dont know - I heard once that their presence is a testiment to good water quality... Like I said I once saw one here on the Coosa - he must of been headed somewhere else.