California Wood Duck Program

Here's something cool to start your week: An ag class at Winters High School built 17 wood duck nest boxes from Sunsweet prune dryer crates and donated them to CWA's California Wood Duck Program. Recycling AND conservation, all in one project!

Sometimes non-native invasive starlings try to take over nest boxes that our volunteers put out for native wood ducks, filling the boxes with sticks. And sometimes wood duck hens don't stand for that build their own nest on top of the starling nest - take THAT, starling! CWA Waterfowl Programs Coordinator Caroline Brady came across this hen with moxie today at Grey Lodge Farms, when she was banding wood ducks with Christopher Tocatlian and his wife Heather. Go, Team Wood Duck!

Wood ducker Mike Merlo captured this amazing video. The great leap!

Hey wood duck volunteers, hens are starting to look for place to nest this spring - are your nest boxes ready for them? It is now that time of the year to start... cleaning out your wood duck box of whatever random debris sticks, dead mice, starling nests, etc. happened to accumulate inside. Beyond that, here are a few more tips for preparing your wood duck boxes. - Make sure the boxes aren’t leaning backward, which makes it hard for ducklings to climb out and jump, and clear any obstructions from the entrance holes. - Place 3-4 inches of wood shavings in the box. Do not overfill (the duck might lose its eggs in shavings piled too deep) and DO NOT USE saw dust. - If you have predator issues and your box is on a pole, line the pole with dish soap, which makes it too slippery for predators to climb. For more information about CWA's wood duck programs and information on how to volunteer, visit http://www.calwaterfowl.org/woodduck-program

Don't forget to turn in data from all of your hard work this spring! Forms can be downloaded at the CWA website here: http://www.calwaterfowl.org/woodduck-downloads Send summary forms and volunteer names any way you like to us! Email: [email protected]... Fax: (916) 307-5808 Snail mail: 1346 Blue Oaks Blvd. Roseville, CA 95678 See more