Wood Duck Box Pictures and Information

For the last few days, a wood duck pair has been checking out his box I built and put up last year.  I went to clean it out yesterday and there was a large defunct wasp nest and a bunch of sticks and leaves some of the local squirrels had stashed.

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I have been building wood duck boxes for the past ten years.  Ornithology and bird watching have been a large part of my life since I was very young.  I haven't got a chance to watch any baby ducks fly out of this box I built.  I give away the boxes to friends and I have had a few friends get a chance to see the little ducks leaving the nest.

It is sunny hear today, but the wind is cold out of the north. Most of the ducks and other birds seem to be in hiding.  It was seventy degrees last weekend, and it has been cold and snowy for the last few days.

Wood ducks will have up to 12 little chicks, and from the information I read online, multiple pairs will use the same nesting box each season.  Here is link to the Minnesota DNR Wood Duck Page.  It shows their range and has a ton of other great facts concerning this duck.