2006-06-07 P&R Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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,) Ottawa Duck Club - President's Report / " 4 ./ . ducks migrating south in the fall might be scoping them out" as nesting sites for the following spring so you want to ensure that all is in good order Uninvited house guests? When opening up a duck box for maintenance it is important to tread with caution at all times of the year. Experience has taught us that ducks are not the only creatures that frequent nest boxes. Just like natural situations, there will always be competition from other species for natural or man- made cavities. "~~-' Non-target inhabitants include other bird species like European starlings, eastern screech owls, great crested flycatchers, and American kestrels. Also, squirrels, bees and wasps have also been known to set up home in nest boxes. So, before opening a box, tap it a few times and watch it for any signs of activity. The most common unexpected duck box user will usually be the European Starling. Starlings can be a problem during the nesting season because female Wood Ducks will avoid boxes that are filled with starling nesting material. These are usually quite obvious because starling nests consist of a large amount of grass and small twigs that often fill half of the nesting box. Starlings can be very aggressive and may harass Wood Ducks away from the nest box that they are using. Also, if a starling has a successful hatch in your duck box, the young will be imprinted to use duck boxes as nesting sites in future years. So it is very important to try to limit starling use. At the Duck Club we try to control starlings in the duck boxes that we monitor by removing their nesting material before they lay eggs. But they can be persistent and it is a constant battle. Luckily, these birds affect only small numbers of our boxes. Predator control 6/19/2005 http://ode.nef.calduckboxmaint.htm1