Ruth The Builder

I built a wood duck house this afternoon. After seeing the pair of wood ducks flying around the woods at Neighbor Jack's last weekend, I decided to try building them a house. I'm thinking it may already be too late in the season for nesting, but if it's not, maybe they will find this nice, new house.

The pattern recommended putting a hinged door on the side to monitor nest box activity and make it easier to clean out in the fall.

I also I installed 1/4 inch plastic mesh on the front part of the box from the bottom to the opening which will help the little ducklings gain a toehold when climbing out of the box.

I called the Neighbor Jack to get permission to put the box on their property. His wife Mary called me back to say that "yes, it would be great if I put the nest box on one of their trees." Rick agreed to help me by hauling all the stuff down on the ATV and then holding the ladder so I didn't fall and do great bodily harm. I do have disability insurance, but there's no sense in tempting fate.....especially since I'm somewhat accident-prone.

Here's the nest box in its new location. There's no way a wood duck can miss this bright, shining new abode.

While we were out putting up the nest box, I stopped to take a few pictures of some wildflowers. It would have been better to go this morning, but it was overcast and super windy, so I hung around inside the house for most of the morning.

Yellow Violets

A big patch of May Apples

Jack-in-the-Pulpit

Purple Violets

There are also tons of trout lilies out there that are just starting to bloom. It was late enough in the day that the flowers were already closing up for the night.

We spent some time this morning finding a spot for Rick's deer head from his hunting adventures last fall.

The new one is on the top right side. We have now officially run out of wall space for deer heads. If any more trophy whitetails are shot, we will have to build a new house