A nice visit to the Suisun wood duck nursery

By Guy Carl
Outdoors

Springtime is nesting time for waterfowl.

In California, this is when wetlands transform into nurseries for all kinds of ducks, geese and other water birds.

And, thanks to organizations like the California Waterfowl Association and its wood duck program, more waterfowl than ever have the chance to successfully breed in California’s marshes.

Last week, I had the pleasure of accompanying CWA biologist Kelly Rathburn and volunteer Robert Franco on a special field trip into the Suisun Marsh.

My wife, Julie, joined us, along with two fellow outdoor journalists. Our objective was to monitor some of the nesting boxes installed on one of the participating ranches, and see if we could find any wood ducks in them.

Our destination was the Arnold Ranch, just outside of Fairfield. During the winter, this ranch is a fully operational duck club. But in the spring, it serves as host for one of the hundreds of projects in CWA’s wood duck program.

It was a beautiful, warm spring morning as we entered the marsh. We could see the first nesting box just up ahead, installed on a post about eight feet above the ground and positioned at the water’s edge. The box itself is about two feet tall, a foot wide and a foot deep.

A small hole is made near the top of one side — so small that it’s hard to imagine that a full-grown duck could even squeeze through it!

When we neared the box, Robert went ahead to put a “stopper” in the opening so that any nesting inhabitants could not escape. The box was then carefully lowered, and the screws were gently removed from the lid.

Robert peered under the lid to see if anyone was home. It was here we learned that not only wood ducks like to use these special nesting boxes.

Inside this one was a mother barn owl with a newly hatched owl-ling!

These nocturnal birds were amazingly undisturbed by our daytime intrusion. In fact, they hardly budged at all as we gawked at them and snapped a few quick photos. They appeared to feel quite safe in the confines of the nesting box. Having enjoyed the moment, we replaced the lid and raised the box back up again so the owl family could return to a good day’s sleep.

Another hundred yards down the marsh bank was the next nesting box for us to inspect. Inside this box we found what we had come to see — a hen wood duck sitting on a full nest of eggs!

Robert carefully reached down into the box and gently lifted out the duck. He demonstrated how to hold her with a firm but careful grip, and then allowed each of us to take a turn while Kelly inspected the nest.

There were 15 eggs altogether. Kelly “candled” a few by holding them up to the sunlight to determine the health and an estimated hatch date.

The hen wood duck will not begin the incubation period until she has laid the entire batch. Most lay approximately one egg per day over a two-week period. The incubation process lasts for about four weeks until the ducklings hatch.

Then, after just one day in the nest, they will emerge into the wide world to search for their first meal with their mother.

Our subject duck was relatively well-behaved, only squirming a few times while each of us held her.

She was then placed softly back in her nest to continue caring for her future brood.

We found three more wood ducks in other nest boxes that morning, all protecting healthy batches of eggs. It looks like a good hatch is in store for 2009!

CWA’s wood duck program began in 1991, and has since hatched over 500,000 ducklings in the state.

In 2008 alone, more than 32,000 ducklings emerged from CWA wood duck nesting boxes.

The natural nesting habitat for wood ducks is forested areas near slow-moving water. Over the last 150 years, it is estimated that 95 percent of this habitat has been lost in California.

Our wood duck populations nearly disappeared forever.

The Arnold Ranch project, along with many others like it, has allowed the highly-adaptable wood duck to nest in marshes instead of forests. These efforts have brought their numbers back to life, and they are now stronger than ever.

Kids Fishing Derby this Sunday

The 40th annual George Carl Kids’ Fishing Derby is this Sunday, May 3 at Lake Hennessey.

The derby is open to all children between the ages of three and 16.

There is no cost to enter the derby.

Fish can be measured any time between 6 a.m. and 12 p.m., when the derby closes.

No entries will be admitted after the noon closing.

The event is put on by the Active 20-30 Club of Napa, a community service organization dedicated to helping special-needs children.

For more information, visit the club’s Web site at www.napaactive2030.org, or call 253-2030.

Guy Carl is a CPA and partner with BDCo Accountants and Advisors in St. Helena (www.bdcocpa.com). Contact Guy at GC.outdoors@sbcglobal.net.

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