A group who looks out for local wood ducks have been busy this spring constructing and repairing nesting boxes for the birds.
Since mid-March, the Pittwaterfowlers have been touring around Pitt Meadows, fixing boxes damaged by bears, putting in new boxes, and making sure new nesting chips are at the bottom of each one.
This is the 15th year the group of hunters have been taking on this conservation project.
“Every year we go out and and we clean out the boxes, put fresh nesting chips in, you know, and stuff like that,” said Dan Otway, co-founder of the Pittwaterfowlers with Chris Bradford.
The group preps everything for the nesting season that starts around mid-April, or sooner if the weather is warm.
Otway’s father , Bill, was a former executive director of B.C. Wildlife in the 1970’s and regional director of Duck’s Unlimited, and in 1972, he started Pitt Waterfowl Association with Maple Ridge resident Richard Trethewey.
The pair installed around 500 wood duck boxes across the Fraser Valley, including Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows.
Bill was also awarded the Winchester Outdoorsman of the Year award in 1972 for his conservation work in B.C.
In 1996 the Pitt Waterfowl Association was disbanded.
His son, now 67, formed the Pittwaterfowlers with Bradford in 2012 and initially put six wood duck boxes in Pitt Marsh, which has since increased to about 80 in that area.
Otway said there is a real need for the work because of habitat loss.
The group begins early in the year, making the boxes and getting their supplies ready.
In February this year about a dozen volunteers plus their children constructed 30 nesting boxes in two hours.
Each box was about 25 cm by 25 cm and about 60 cm deep, which are put on a high pole with an overhang, so other animals can’t get in the boxes or grab at the birds from the roof.
They put cut marks on the inside to help the young ducks get out.
Then, on Saturday, March 14, and Sunday, March 15, volunteers travelled around Pitt Meadows, and replaced some of the older boxes, putting in about 10 to 15 cm new wood chips on the bottom for the birds to lay their eggs. Over the weekend the completed 29 boxes.
On Sunday, March 22, the group took out four boats onto the Alouette River where they repaired, re-located, and replaced boxes, some damaged by bears.
And the group is planning to go out again mid-April.
Currently around 60 per cent to 70 per cent of their boxes – about 160 in total – are utilized by the ducks.
Locally there are about 50 boxes, and out of those, he said, they are at about 90 percent utilization.
Just along the Alouette River alone, the boxes are almost at 100 per cent utilization, said Otway.
Some, he said, get nested in twice.
In Pitt Marsh, he said their numbers are around 25 to 35 per cent boxes used.
And the boxes have been used by other birds as well including flickers and swallows.
“It’s really been successful,” said Otway about the program.