What got me hooked on birding was the spring migration of all the ducks that come to our area to either stop for a rest or stay and nest. Our region is a haven for many birds, especially waterfowl. We are on the shores of Lesser Slave Lake, the largest lake fully contained in Alberta’s borders, surrounded by mountain ranges (not the Rockies!) and in the thick of the boreal forest. The land is made up of sand dunes, muskeg, and meadows with plenty of ponds and rivers providing rich food and shelter for birds.
The more duck species I saw the more I learned about the variety of ducks that migrate to the North. Learning about birds includes some key points: how to identify males/females/juveniles, habitat, feeding habits, sounds and nesting.
I expected ducks to nest on the ground, similar to Canada Geese. What I discovered was how varied nesting is for waterfowl and the most surprising discovery was that we have ducks that nest in tree cavities.
Many people call them Wood Ducks, but we don’t get Wood Ducks up here (unless a vagrant which is possible). What we do get are several duck species that nest in trees.
Reading about tree nesting ducks had me wanting to see one in a tree and the other day, that happened.
I rounded the corner of a favourite path coming closer to a tree that several years before had Flickers nesting there. I always look to see if the Flickers are back, without any success. So when I saw a head peering out as I came closer, I was surprised and immediately thought it was a Flicker (a type of woodpecker). But the profile didn’t fit and that is when I realized it was a duck. Not just any duck, but the smallest of ducks, a female Bufflehead. Buffleheads are small enough to nest in an old Flicker hole.
At the same time, I saw Female Common Goldeneye’s flying in and out of a patch of dead trees that have lots of cavities. Goldeneye Ducks also nest in trees. This particular spot is one that I have long thought should have tree nesting ducks as it is close to water giving the ducklings a quick access to the water after they “leap” from the nest hole.
Yes, they “leap” from the nest a few days after hatching. The mother duck calls them, they go to the hole, jump, land and make their way to the water.
I didn’t see the ducklings leave the nest that morning. I felt lucky enough to see a female peaking out of the hole and a female Common Goldeneye land on the top of a dead tree.
Tree nesting ducks in our region (from smallest to largest) are: Buffleheads, Hooded Mergansers, Common Goldeneyes, and Common Mergansers. All of these ducks are diving ducks. Cavity-nesting birds are some of the most threatened species in North America, most likely due to the loss of wetlands and old growth woodlands.
Building nest boxes is one way that we can help cavity-nesting birds. The other way is to advocate for respect of the natural environment and protection of wetlands and adjacent old growth woodlands for tree nesting ducks.
Get out and discover the wonderful diversity of our planet and treat nature as a treasured friend. Feed your soul by being a steward of the Earth and starve our collective human dysfunction of dominating the planet.
More about nest boxes here: https://www.ab-conservation.com/downloads/educational_materials/brochures/nest_box_guide_and_instructions.pdf
More about Bufflehead ducks here: http://www.hww.ca/en/wildlife/birds/bufflehead.html