Building homes for waterfowl
From a Michigan newspaper...
Building homes for waterfowl
A summer internship aims to help increase waterfowl population
FLORENCE -- It takes only about ten minutes to make a nesting cylinder. The simple structure constructed of wire and hay costs only about $25 to build, but it has a big job in the water.
"The cylinder itself is supposed to thwart predators to get those predators away and promote production in waterfowl that way." says Teal Joseph, a Conservation Warden Intern at the Florence County Resource Center.
Waterfowl aren't the only animals that benefit from the nests... other ground nesters such as mallards and widgeons can use the cylinders too.
And keeping these animals popular as benefits for us, as well.
"Like anything else, waterfowl are a part of the ecosystem and historically they're present in large numbers all across the northern and central United States. So waterfowl might be one of those key species that we look at when we wonder about what's going on with our environment." said Wildlife Biologist Jeremy Holtz.
Each nesting cylinder is placed in an area with a water depth between a foot and a half and three feet. The nest itself needs to be at least two feet above the water.
"The toughest part was probably pounding the posts and finding proper places for them. You want a place that isn't too mucky because you want some sub-straight that you can pound it into so if there's some freezing or thawing it won't jack the post around too much." said Joseph.
Once placed in the water, the nest will need to be cleaned out yearly and re-stuffed with fresh hay. When maintained properly, the nest can stay in the water for eight to ten years.
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