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historical data
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The following tables summarize the available data on activity in the Wood Duck nest boxes at Huntley Meadows Park, Fairfax County, Virginia, for the indicated years. Explanatory notes and additional comments follow the tables.
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Counts of boxes: |
Counts of: |
Dates on which: |
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Year |
Deployed and Monitored |
Only visited |
With clutches |
Eggs laid |
Ducklings fledged (%) |
Eggs were laid |
Eggs hatched |
Volunteer |
1982 |
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|
|
18 |
13 (72%) |
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|
1983 |
|
|
|
33 |
21 (64%) |
4/20- |
-6/1 |
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1984 |
|
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|
78 |
59 (76%) |
3/15- |
-6/15 |
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1985 |
|
|
|
145 |
76 (52%) |
4/3- |
-7/8 |
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1986 |
18 |
5 |
7 |
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|
|
|
1987 |
20 |
|
6 |
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|
|
|
|
1988 |
17 |
|
6 |
32 |
25 (78%) |
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|
1989 |
|
|
3 |
|
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|
|
3 |
1990 |
13 |
|
5 |
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|
-6/7 |
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1991 |
14 |
6 |
6 |
98 |
76 (78%) |
3/18-5/27 |
5/3-7/4 |
5 |
1992 |
19 |
2 |
11 |
145 |
111 (77%) |
3/8-5/13 |
4/19-6/21 |
7 |
1993 |
18 |
3 |
12 |
193 |
108 (56%) |
3/28-5/22 |
5/9-6/6 |
14 |
1994 |
17 |
5 |
8 |
114 |
97 (85%) |
3/20-5/8 |
5/1-5/29 |
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1995 |
21 |
2 |
7 |
82 |
70 (85%) |
-4/23 |
5/7-6/4 |
8 |
1996 |
19 |
7 |
4 |
46 |
41 (89%) |
3/18-4/9 |
5/5-5/19 |
7 |
1997 |
20 |
1 |
4 |
54 |
28 (52%) |
3/9-4/13 |
5/4-5/18 |
8 |
1998 |
19 |
4 |
5 |
60 |
53 (88%) |
3/8-5/17 |
4/19-5/31 |
5 |
1999 |
19 |
2 |
4 |
40 |
33 (83%) |
3/18-4/13 |
5/9-5/16 |
8 |
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The column headed "Only visited" counts those boxes where there was evidence that a duck had visited the box (a depression in the wood chips, a feather, etc.) but where no eggs were laid. Beginning in about 1988, new boxes were mounted (and some old boxes remounted) on poles rather than trees. Pole mounting makes the boxes easier to service and more resistant to predators. In 1991, the first plastic boxes constructed from 5-gallon buckets were installed. These boxes were gradually replaced by wooden boxes, of various designs; by the end of 2001, all boxes again were made of wood. In 1991, one box had two clutches laid in it, for a total of 7 clutches of eggs on the year; in 1992, two boxes had double clutches, for a total of 13 clutches on the year. In 1998, one box had a second small clutch (which failed), for a total of 6 clutches on the year. The 1993 nesting season was delayed somewhat by a massive mid-March snowstorm. All laying dates and hatch dates are estimated. In 1991, the monitoring program was expanded, and regular weekly monitoring and maintenance became the norm; prior to that year, the boxes were checked only once or twice per season. |
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Counts of boxes: |
Counts of: |
Dates on which: |
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Clutches |
Eggs laid |
Ducklings fledged (%) |
Eggs were laid |
Eggs hatched |
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Year |
Deployed and Monitored |
Only visited |
HOME |
WODU |
Mixed |
HOME |
WODU |
HOME |
WODU |
HOME |
WODU |
HOME |
WODU |
Volunteer staff |
2000 |
19 |
2 |
0 |
5 |
0 |
0 |
62 |
0 |
47 (76%) |
n/a |
3/18- 5/4 |
n/a |
4/23- 6/5 |
10 |
2001 |
19 |
2 |
1 |
3 |
1 |
18 |
36 |
15 (83%) |
29 (81%) |
3/4- 5/13 |
4/29- 6/17 |
8 | ||
2002 |
16 |
1 |
3 |
6 |
0 |
39 |
63 |
22 (56%) |
55 (87%) |
3/14- 4/21 |
5/5- 6/9 |
8 | ||
2003 |
17 |
1 |
3 |
8 |
2 |
44 |
116 |
33 (75%) |
93 (80%) |
3/1- 3/31 |
3/13- 6/14 |
4/19- 5/4 |
4/26- 7/14 |
8 |
2004 |
19 |
0 |
6 |
6 |
2 |
94 |
82 |
79 (84%) |
40 (49%) |
2/25- 5/8 |
2/28- 5/27 |
4/3- 6/5 |
4/26- 6/25 |
8 |
2005 |
18 |
3 |
5 |
5 |
1 |
44 |
60 |
35 (80%) |
42 (70%) |
2/17- 4/9 |
3/15- 5/14 |
4/9- 5/29 |
5/7- 6/18 |
10 |
2006 |
18 |
1 |
5 |
4 |
1 |
83 |
35 |
75 (90%) |
9 (26%) |
2/18- 4/13 |
3/21- 5/17 |
4/3- 5/20 |
5/7- 5/20 |
8 |
2007 |
19 |
0 |
7 |
6 |
0 |
76 |
77 |
65 (86%) |
39 (51%) |
3/3- 4/2 |
3/25- 4/25 |
4/22- 5/6 |
-6/11 |
12 |
2008 |
19 |
2 |
4 |
9 |
0 |
42 |
115 |
37 (88%) |
97 (84%) |
2/26- 4/14 |
3/5- 5/26 |
4/14- 5/12 |
4/27- 6/26 |
5 |
2009 |
19 |
2 |
4 |
5 |
0 |
39 |
63 |
29 (74%) |
59 (94%) |
2/24- 4/30 |
3/25- 5/5 |
4/14- 5/30 |
5/8- 6/7 |
10 |
19 |
2 |
4 |
10 |
1 |
69 |
113 |
61 (88%) |
53 (47%) |
3/2- 4/8 |
3/14- 6/6 |
4/19- 5/10 |
4/28- 6/2 |
9 | |
14 |
0 |
3 |
5 |
5 |
76 |
82 |
51 (67%) |
37 (45%) |
2/24- 4/15 |
3/11- 6/5 |
4/11- 5/13 |
4/17- 6/3 |
14 | |
16 |
2 |
5 |
5 |
2 |
70 |
57 |
63 (90%) |
46 (81%) |
2/24- 4/9 |
3/9- 5/3 |
4/6- 5/8 |
4/10- 6/2 |
7 | |
16 |
2 |
6 |
3 |
4 |
103 |
72 |
92 (89%) |
48 (67%) |
2/17- 5/5 |
3/9- 4/1 |
4/23- 6/4 |
4/23- 5/1 |
5 |
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16 |
2 |
3 |
10 |
1 |
41 |
127 |
37 (90%) |
84 (66%) |
2/28- 3/31 |
3/17- 5/1 |
4/14- 4/30 |
4/30- 5/31 |
6 |
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16 |
2 |
4 |
6 |
3 |
64 |
67 |
13 (20%) |
13 (19%) |
3/12- 4/11 |
3/22- 5/3 |
6/3 |
5/3 |
5 |
|
16 |
1 |
3 |
11 |
0 |
34 |
163 |
31 (91%) |
114 (70%) |
2/27- 4/18 |
3/1- 6/6 |
4/11- 5/18 |
4/12- 6/17 |
5 |
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16 |
2 |
4 |
9 |
1 |
46 |
158 |
37 (80%) |
82 (52%) |
3/12- 4/1 |
2/28- 5/5 |
4/30- 5/1 |
4/28- 6/3 |
6 |
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16 |
1 |
10 |
5 |
0 |
139 |
34 |
52 (37%) |
7 (21%) |
2/23- 4/15 |
3/28- 5/14 |
4/16- 5/14 |
6/14 |
6 |
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16 |
2 |
4 |
10 |
0 |
51 |
86 |
40 (78%) |
32 (37%) |
2/17- 3/24 |
2/26- 5/29 |
4/6- 4/29 |
4/15- 6/29 |
5 |
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2020 |
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5 |
16 |
3 |
5 |
4 |
1 |
72 |
63 |
63 (88%) |
47 (75%) |
2/25- 4/11 |
3/14- 4/23 |
4/7- 5/11 |
4/28- 5/24 |
4 |
|
16 |
0 |
5 |
12 |
0 |
72 |
110 |
64 (89%) |
28 (25%) |
2/14- 3/25 |
3/11- 5/21 |
4/3- 5/2 |
4/20- 6/19 |
6 |
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16 |
3 |
4 |
7 |
0 |
47 |
76 |
45 (96%) |
53 (70%) |
2/21- 4/13 |
3/3- 5/22 |
4/3- 5/13 |
4/21- 5/4 |
7 |
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16 |
2 |
2 |
10 |
0 |
22 |
146 |
19 (86%) |
117 (80%) |
3/7- 4/15 |
3/5- 6/2 |
4/20- 5/14 |
4/18- 7/2 |
6 |
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The column headed "Only visited" counts those boxes where there was evidence that a duck had visited the box (a depression in the wood chips, a feather, etc.) but where no eggs were laid. In 1991, the first plastic boxes constructed from 5-gallon buckets were installed. These boxes were gradually replaced by wooden boxes, of various designs; by the end of 2001, all boxes again were made of wood. Beginning in 2001, boxes were used by Hooded Merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus) (columns headed "HOME" in the table above) as well as Wood Duck (columns headed "WODU"). In a few cases, clutches contained eggs of both species, and these are recorded as Mixed above. All laying dates and hatch dates are estimated. Generally, boxes were visited weekly or biweekly. nest boxes at Huntley Meadows Park ||| team photos historical data ||| references and links ©1997-2024 David Gorsline. All rights reserved. |
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