flippermaj Posted January 9, 2016 Report Share Posted January 9, 2016 Hi all, looking for some advice on placing duck nesting tubes. I have two on some small ponds and they work reasonably well. I have no other ponds to place more in, has anyone tried placing nesting tubes in water filled ditches? Alternatively we have some salt marsh where I could put some but 90% of the day they would be dry standing and would only be surrounded by water at the top of the tide, would this work? Has any one tried the above or placed nesting tubes anywhere else? Cheers Flipper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edenman Posted January 9, 2016 Report Share Posted January 9, 2016 Hi Flipper My club tried placing them on tidal marshes but they got knocked down by the tide, and we found them to exposed. I'd try the ditches myself. Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kent Posted January 9, 2016 Report Share Posted January 9, 2016 It's all about the young being able to feed were they hatch Duckling can't compete tidal flows etc and are better hatching in sheltered spots near as in right by insect holding cover bulrushes reed and weeds n such Mummy duck knows this well That said I am putting a load out in a few weeks in a drainage ditch area Andy and mark at westmorland are worth a Facebook message on the westmorland Wildfowlers page Worthy of note Mallard mum's choose the nest site and they mostly try for within yards of were they themselves hatched This means tunnels have a better result year on year conditions being equal so keep putting more out whatever Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wildfowler.250 Posted January 9, 2016 Report Share Posted January 9, 2016 (edited) Hi all, looking for some advice on placing duck nesting tubes. I have two on some small ponds and they work reasonably well. I have no other ponds to place more in, has anyone tried placing nesting tubes in water filled ditches? Alternatively we have some salt marsh where I could put some but 90% of the day they would be dry standing and would only be surrounded by water at the top of the tide, would this work? Has any one tried the above or placed nesting tubes anywhere else? Cheers Flipper Funny you should post this I was thinking it would be worth putting a few round the marsh in the spring. Would be a good wee project. Might have to keep ontop of the crows though.. Cheers! Edited January 9, 2016 by wildfowler.250 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anser2 Posted January 10, 2016 Report Share Posted January 10, 2016 I would not advise putting nesting baskets on the saltmarsh. Quite apart from the problems of tides knocking over or flooding the nests, most saltmarsh are open to the public and you can be sure someone will mess about with the nests. There will be far more insect food for the ducklings on the inland ditches and with a little thought you should be place the baskets where public find it hard to get to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kent Posted January 10, 2016 Report Share Posted January 10, 2016 mmm, a place the public wont get to think that will have to statistically less likely You think ditches behind the sea wall with vegetation could be the ticket then? the only thing I can say is they are less likely to wade up to their midrift but you never know I have found people doing all sorts of daft things were they shouldn't be Anyhow its the plan in a few weeks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Running Tide Posted February 26, 2016 Report Share Posted February 26, 2016 The key to successfully placing duck nest tubes is to put them in sites that mallard would naturally want to make a nest and raise their broods. We've put 6 along the banks of a main drainage ditch (a field away from the seawall) and they have seen usage by mallard. Unfortunately 2 stock fences run either side of the drain from which carrion and magpie can get a good viewpoint and look directly into the nests...I have seen predation of the eggs from within tubes as they are sited too close to the fence line. Carrions just hop from the fence into the front lip of the tubes wire frame. Unfortunately the width of the drain is only 2 metres across so there's nothing we do here other than to place the tubes right in the middle of the drain, which again is another none starter as the level of water fluctuates enormously so we run the risk of flooding the tubes out. We have an intensive vermin control in this area but we can't guard the tubes 24 hours...Ideally these duck tubes always work best when placed over water on inland lakes or ponds close to the marshes or on flight ponds etc. I can't stress enough that they do not magically attract mallard into them. There has to be mallard at the location to begin with, and the location has to be right for mallard to breed in....i.e. mallard want to breed there, there is natural cover available for the ducklings and a source of food for her and her brood. I have seen tubes placed on temporary flashes on bowling green like saltmarshes...and not surprisingly they do not work....no duck in its right mind would ever choose to nest on these places so putting a duck tube up is a waste of time. If there are no mallard using the ditches behind the seawall as natural nesting sites then putting duck tubes up in these areas is a non starter also. Mallard are fussy as well.....I've found that on one wetland (lake) where we have 14 tubes there are hot spots where the tubes are used heavily..and others have never ever been used....Only the mallard themselves know why these tubes are no good....the key is to move tubes around on ponds and lakes if they do not work after the 2nd breeding season. And if there's no usage at all then ask yourself why...look at the location and habitat...would a mallard breed there anyway? If the answer is NO....then a duck tube won't make any difference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richie10 Posted February 26, 2016 Report Share Posted February 26, 2016 Definitely worth doing. You have to position them in places with plenty of food and make sure they don't face into the wind. We have had good results, however it might take a season for them to be used, which I have heard from people with more experience of putting the tubes out. Would be good if more people did it, increase the number of mallard about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malkiserow Posted February 26, 2016 Report Share Posted February 26, 2016 BASC have done a film about these ...... well worth a watch as it is just good practical stuff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Running Tide Posted March 1, 2016 Report Share Posted March 1, 2016 We've modified the design of the tubes since we did the video with BASC...We now use metal cradles instead of nailing the tube to deck boards...much easier to maintain each year...Basically weld 2 sets of 'cow horn' metal rods to a 2 foot x 3 inch metal plate..(one set of horns at each end of the plate)..Create a T bar by welding a 20cm length x 4cm diameter tube onto the underneath side of the plate. Mount the nest tube onto the cradle with cable ties....Come February snip the cable ties...lift off the nest tube..open up the tube, pack with fresh hay...roll it back up again...stuff 2/3rds full with fresh hay and secure with hog rings or cable ties and mount it back onto the cradle....Slip the whole lot onto a scaffold pole or similar over water. Job done. Richie10 makes a good point don't face them into the prevailing wind...90° to wind direction is perfect....and make sure they don't spin on the pole by wedging them or use a design similar to that made by Kent. Galvanised square pole and square T piece. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malkiserow Posted March 1, 2016 Report Share Posted March 1, 2016 We've modified the design of the tubes since we did the video with BASC...We now use metal cradles instead of nailing the tube to deck boards...much easier to maintain each year...Basically weld 2 sets of 'cow horn' metal rods to a 2 foot x 3 inch metal plate..(one set of horns at each end of the plate)..Create a T bar by welding a 20cm length x 4cm diameter tube onto the underneath side of the plate. Mount the nest tube onto the cradle with cable ties....Come February snip the cable ties...lift off the nest tube..open up the tube, pack with fresh hay...roll it back up again...stuff 2/3rds full with fresh hay and secure with hog rings or cable ties and mount it back onto the cradle....Slip the whole lot onto a scaffold pole or similar over water. Job done. Richie10 makes a good point don't face them into the prevailing wind...90° to wind direction is perfect....and make sure they don't spin on the pole by wedging them or use a design similar to that made by Kent. Galvanised square pole and square T piece. Sounds like a good update - Do you have a photo? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kent Posted March 2, 2016 Report Share Posted March 2, 2016 I have some pictures on my company Facebook and webpage of the type Bowlandfab.com Or Bowland fabrications Ltd on fb Mods ok? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scotslad Posted March 2, 2016 Report Share Posted March 2, 2016 We've had a few up for 3 years, this will be the 4th and still no sign of mallard using them? Sited in an inland pond, at 90 to wind etc, do get duck nesting there most years not always succesfully just not in tubes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kent Posted March 2, 2016 Report Share Posted March 2, 2016 We've had a few up for 3 years, this will be the 4th and still no sign of mallard using them? Sited in an inland pond, at 90 to wind etc, do get duck nesting there most years not always succesfully just not in tubes There will be a reason are they on the downwind bank? That is were the food is Move it! Like a trap sometimes it's just a case of moving it a few feet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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