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It has been an incredibly active spring thus far. Our latest Activity Report provides the details. Woodies arrived weeks ago and are actively nesting. The 2007 drought is still significantly affecting habitat in many inland wetlands where runoff is relatively limited. Conditions do not appear to be suitable to maximize Maryland production this year.

With almost all of the installation, replacement and relocation work now completed, nest monitoring will begin in earnest. MWDI nest data will help discern the general impact of last year’s drought on current nesting behavior in selected areas. 

Public sites continue to rise as more are volunteering to support the ongoing monitoring of nest boxes. There are now 59 active sites for the 2008 nest season, up from 41 in 2007 and 25 in 2006. There will be more than 60 in 2009 based on recent habitat reviews. In February, I thought only 50! 

Spotlight on Volunteers
May 5, 2008 Box Cutting

Volunteer hours now exceed 12,000 since late 2004. Cooperation and assistance from federal, state and local public officials continues to be exemplary as does the support of many non-profit organizations and their staff. The National Wildlife Federation, Maryland Waterfowlers Association, the Rockville chapter of the Izaak Walton League and the two Maryland chapters of Delta Waterfowl have been especially active the past few months.

Net functional capacity by the end of the 2008 nest season will be approximately 1,525 boxes on 59 MWDI participating sites. 251 new boxes will have been installed either as replacements (46) or new capacity (205). 89 boxes have also been removed primarily to decluster box placement in certain programs. Thus, a 12% gain of 162 boxes over the 2007 adjusted level of 1,363 boxes is anticipated.

Effective box placement, housing quality and new habitat exposure has improved such that productivity gains are expected to be more significant than this statistical increase once programs mature. The detailed analysis of 2007 results is almost completed as we have now captured data from all but a small number of the boxes. It will be a useful state-wide reference from which to compare future box use and productivity.

MWDI has been increasingly active in external affairs making presentations and supporting a rising number of youth-oriented box building events. We continue to encourage private program “best practices” by providing access to cost-effective predator guards and box materials such as our planned May 5^th box kit marathon, where we expect to make more than 300 kits. Routinely, we also provide program advice and information or obtain it from other cooperating wildlife professionals. Details are provided throughout the website.

Picture submission for the photo contest is rising. Please send along any of your instructional wildlife, nest box or people shots! We’ll be making some interim awards this summer.

Thank you for you continuing participation and interest. 

Sincerely,

Cliff Brown
Executive Director
Maryland Wood Duck Initiative