Turtle and Duck Loafing Platform (Plan 18)
This platform will
work very well along sheltered lakeshores and small ponds as loafing and sunning sites for
painted turtles, wood ducks, mallards, and blue-winged teal. These sites are important
because they are relatively safe from predators. Strategically placed platforms can
provide enjoyable viewing opportunities at wetlands in parks and nature centers.
The floating platform requires three lengths of 8 inch diameter cedar power poles 4 feet long. Lay the post parallel in order to make a 4' x 4' platform on top of the posts. Nail 4-foot lengths of 2" x 6" boards perpendicular to the direction of the posts. Space the boards about 1 inch apart.
The platforms should be placed in 2 to 4 feet of water. A length of welded link chain should be bolted around the cedar posts on opposing corners of the platform. Each chain should be 3 feet longer than the depth of the water from the high water mark to the bottom. Each chain should be bolted to an 8" x 8" x 16" concrete foundation block. The double anchor blocks are dropped about 6 feet apart to prevent the platform from constantly pivoting with the wind.
The traditional wood duck box has helped the beautiful wood duck make a remarkable recovery during the past 20 years. Early in this century some people believed the wood duck was becoming extinct. Now it is one of Pennsylvania's most abundant waterfowl species.
As shown in (Plan 15), the entrance hole should be an oval 3 inches high and 4 inches
wide. This hole excludes most raccoon
s. The hole should be centered 19 inches
above the floor. An 18"x 3" strip of 1/4-inch mesh hardware cloth should be cut
out and the cut edges folded back. This should be attached inside the box under the
entrance to function as a ladder for the newly hatched ducklings. Sometimes squirrels will
tear this ladder loose so it will need to be checked annually. Or the wood under the
entrance hole should be roughened with a chisel to give the ducklings the toeholds they
need. The roughened area should extend below the entrance hole for 1 foot. At least 3
inches of chain saw wood chips should be placed in the nest to serve as nesting material.
Paired roofing nails with large heads should be used around the top of the box to wire it
shut so raccoons can't open the box.
The house should be constructed of wood that is strong and can be made weather resistant. It can be painted, stained, or treated, however, such treatment is not necessary if weather resistant lumber is used - on the outside only. The floor should be recessed 1/4 inch up from the lower edge of the sides to prevent rotting.
Houses can be erected on an isolated tree or on a 16-foot long, 4" x 4" post that is cypress, cedar or preservative-treated wood. An aluminum or tin sheet should be nailed around the post under the house to prevent squirrels and raccoons from entering. Used aluminum printing plates from newspaper offices can be purchased very cheaply and stapled lengthwise to the 4" x 4" post under the nest box. Since wood ducks are not territorial, two or more houses can be placed on the same post.
Vigilant starling control will be necessary in wood duck boxes. Repeated removal of starling nesting material (up to six times) will generally discourage further attempts. The top of a wood duck box should be fastened to its support so that it leans forward a couple of inches, this facilitates the drainage of rainwater. To strengthen the box, nail a 9 3/4 inch long 1" x 2" along the inside top edge of the front. Nail a similar size piece onto the back just under where the roof rests.
Boxes placed on posts in water should be about 5 feet above the water's surface. Boxes placed upland on trees should be at least 8 feet and preferably above 20 feet high. Boxes can be placed over water or in woodland habitat up to half-a-mile from lakes, ponds, marshes, and rivers.
Box entrances near water should face the water. Otherwise, there seems to be a slight preference for south and west facing entrance holes. Ideally, boxes on land should be 30 to 100 feet from the water's edge. The chance of predation by raccoons is higher along the water's edge.
Annual maintenance on wood duck boxes should be completed by March 1.