OT Wood Ducks

Just looked out the kitchen window and a pair of Wood Ducks is walking
around in a small puddle left from several days of heavy rain. WDs
look at the Cottonwoods in the yard as potential nests nearly every
year, but this is the first time I've seen them actually walking
around under those trees, 30 feet from the house.

Cool

"Larry L" wrote in message
...
Just looked out the kitchen window and a pair of Wood Ducks is walking
around in a small puddle left from several days of heavy rain. WDs
look at the Cottonwoods in the yard as potential nests nearly every
year, but this is the first time I've seen them actually walking
around under those trees, 30 feet from the house.

Cool

Build a nesting box or two. Lots of wood duck nesting boxes along the Sac
river and probably the San Joaquin. Have them around for awhile. We have a
pair of mallards that like to use the swimming pool part of the year.

On Mar 5, 10:08*am, "Bill McKee" wrote:


*We have a
pair of mallards that like to use the swimming pool part of the year.


When my ex-hunting buddy still lived in Fremont he had flocks of
mallards in his pool, at times. ( he'd feed them, the fool ... once
took an injured one to the Vet ... !! )

He moved to Nebraska !! ( no accounting for the bizarre actions of
some people :-) and we have only hunted together once since .... he
was an excellent companion in a duck blind

On 2010-03-05 14:11:13 -0500, Larry L said:

On Mar 5, 10:08*am, "Bill McKee" wrote:


*We have a
pair of mallards that like to use the swimming pool part of the year.


When my ex-hunting buddy still lived in Fremont he had flocks of
mallards in his pool, at times. ( he'd feed them, the fool ... once
took an injured one to the Vet ... !! )

He moved to Nebraska !! ( no accounting for the bizarre actions of
some people :-)

Only bizarre people move to Nebraska, Larry.

Dave ducking (p.i)

d;o)

"Larry L" wrote in message
...
Just looked out the kitchen window and a pair of Wood Ducks is walking
around in a small puddle left from several days of heavy rain. WDs
look at the Cottonwoods in the yard as potential nests nearly every
year, but this is the first time I've seen them actually walking
around under those trees, 30 feet from the house.

Cool

They also do that here in the suburbs Melbourne in back yard pools. My old
boss has a mother duck raise it's ducklings in his pool every year for a
while till they are ready to fly off.

Rob.

On Fri, 5 Mar 2010 10:08:40 -0800, "Bill McKee"
wrote:


"Larry L" wrote in message
...
Just looked out the kitchen window and a pair of Wood Ducks is walking
around in a small puddle left from several days of heavy rain. WDs
look at the Cottonwoods in the yard as potential nests nearly every
year, but this is the first time I've seen them actually walking
around under those trees, 30 feet from the house.

Cool

Build a nesting box or two. Lots of wood duck nesting boxes along the Sac
river and probably the San Joaquin. Have them around for awhile. We have a
pair of mallards that like to use the swimming pool part of the year.

A buddy of mine uses old "privacy fence" panels for this (he is a big Audubon
Society guy, so he builds them for that as well as his own property). When he
comes across someone replacing or just removing one, if there are any usable
panels (or parts thereof) he gets a coupla-three panels takes the pickets off
the rails, and has a goodly supply of "pre-weathered" wood. IIRC, he has it
figured that one picket makes one box (maybe it's three makes two, but there's
little waste). Also, if you build some, it's not simply a perfectly square cube
with any ol' hole - IIRC, there are some guidelines to make it more likely
they'll use it (and obviously, things like a slanted, water-shedding roof to
make it longer-lasting). If you decide to build some and can't find anything on
the 'net, or simply want his "recipe," let me know.

TC,
R
....and if you find yourself with an oversupply of the ducks, I know a few good
duck recipes myownself...

On Mar 6, 6:09*am, wrote:
On Fri, 5 Mar 2010 10:08:40 -0800, "Bill McKee"
wrote:



"Larry L" wrote in message
....
Just looked out the kitchen window and a pair of Wood Ducks is walking
around in a small puddle left from several days of heavy rain. * * WDs
look at the Cottonwoods in the yard as potential nests nearly every
year, but this is the first time I've seen them actually walking
around under those trees, 30 feet from the house.

Cool

Build a nesting box or two. *Lots of wood duck nesting boxes along the Sac
river and probably the San Joaquin. *Have them around for awhile. *We have a
pair of mallards that like to use the swimming pool part of the year.

A buddy of mine uses old "privacy fence" panels for this (he is a big Audubon
Society guy, so he builds them for that as well as his own property). *When he
comes across someone replacing or just removing one, if there are any usable
panels (or parts thereof) he gets a coupla-three panels takes the pickets off
the rails, and has a goodly supply of "pre-weathered" wood. *IIRC, he has it
figured that one picket makes one box (maybe it's three makes two, but there's
little waste). *Also, if you build some, it's not simply a perfectly square cube
with any ol' hole - IIRC, there are some guidelines to make it more likely
they'll use it (and obviously, things like a slanted, water-shedding roof to
make it longer-lasting). *If you decide to build some and can't find anything on
the 'net, or simply want his "recipe," let me know.

TC,
R
...and if you find yourself with an oversupply of the ducks, I know a few good
duck recipes myownself...

The restoration of wood ducks in North America is one of the great
conservation success stories in an era of widespread and ever
increasing ecological tragedy. Probably more than anyone else, the
folks at Ducks Unlimited deserve credit for this. They've got
detailed plans for nest boxes he

http://www.ducks.org/media/Pennsylva...ts/duckbox.pdf

giles

"David LaCourse" wrote in message
news:2010030517143543658-dplacourse@aolcom...
On 2010-03-05 14:11:13 -0500, Larry L said:

On Mar 5, 10:08 am, "Bill McKee" wrote:


We have a
pair of mallards that like to use the swimming pool part of the year.


When my ex-hunting buddy still lived in Fremont he had flocks of
mallards in his pool, at times. ( he'd feed them, the fool ... once
took an injured one to the Vet ... !! )

He moved to Nebraska !! ( no accounting for the bizarre actions of
some people :-)

Only bizarre people move to Nebraska, Larry.

Dave ducking (p.i)

d;o)




Happy that my parents moved from Nebraska before I was born. Mom tells
about -46 F one winter. She was from near, Henry, NE but closer to Wyoming.

and, if any of these marvelous creatures expires in your area, I'll be glad
to give the flank feathers a good home.....
Tom

On Mar 7, 6:35*am, "Tom Littleton" wrote:
and, if any of these marvelous creatures expires in your area, I'll be glad
to give the flank feathers a good home.....
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Tom

I like Widgeon flank for tails and legs on nymphs, use Teal for the
leading edge of callibaetis wings. I don't use much WD flank and
I've always wondered what the hell people use the WD feathers with the
broad white and black sections for. I see these packaged in shops
but haven't figured out why ... the barred yellow/ black feathers all
the way to the tips, yes, but not the ones with big black and white
sections. I have a good supply of WD flank around ( from huntin
buds ), guess I should tie some Light Cahills or something ( I think
that is one pattern that uses the yellow stuff ) ... I use a little on
PMD emergers and captive duns for legs


LEGS, the aside: I struggle with legs such as flank fibers, tied
in equal numbers along the sides of a fly. I manage the 'far side'
well enough but have yet to get my fingers to do a consistently good
job of gripping the fibers and the thread ( for a loose loop ) to get
the near side positioned "just so." I tend to end up with thread
tension moving the near side fibers up too far, or rotating them out
of the plane I want, or both. This is the only reason I've ever
considered a rotating vice. Any pro tricks for placing these
fibers? ( not sure I've described the problem well, but .. oh
well )