Artificial nests

The system was obviously so successful (each basket producing five flying duck, i.e. about 2,000 on one lake!) that a specimen basket was brought back and copied by a Wiltshire basket weaver. At first, difficulty was experienced in persuading the native mallard to adopt the new artificial nests, though within a few years we discovered how to adapt the original Dutch system to conditions in this country.

Two radical changes were made:· rafts instead of stakes were used to support the nests, because in most places our water level varied a great deal more than the carefully controlled conditions in the Netherlands · oozing to an insufficiency of natural food, it was found necessary to feed the broods like reared duck.

In Holland after the broods hatch off, the females take most of them away from the main breeding lake to the nearby farmlands which are intersected by a network of drainage ditches. In some places smaller lakes and reed lands abound, and there is rarely a shortage of natural food. It is a duck paradise. In England it was found that the broods either tended to stay on their home lake or move off to busy farms - in either case with unsuitable conditions and insufficient food for the extra numbers of growing broods.

The Dutch expert starts to feed his lake only when the broods are beginning to fly. First to flight in are the semi-tame shell duck, and later the wild ones from nearby farms and ponds. Gradually a big flight is built up, of which only the surplus is shot. Conservation is very well understood.

The plan at Fording-bridge has been to reverse the procedure, i.e. to feed the growing duck in and around the breeding areas until they are strong on the wing, then limit the food gradually, thereby encouraging them to forage farther and farther afield, visiting other ponds and perhaps colonising new areas.

In the early sixties it was decided to undertake some experiments with artificial nests on the River Avon and on 'the moat' at Fording-bridge - in reality a sort of backwater of the River Avon. The water was L-shaped and only measured 120 yds. X 10 yds. (110 m. X 9 m.) across.

These experiments showed that mallard which originated from released birds (bred from picked-up wild eggs) took readily to various artificial nest structures - nests on rafts being preferred initially to those supported on stilts. The use of these nests resulted in a marked increase in the number of breeding pairs over the three years.

Artificial nests on heavy duty rafts on the river were not successful - many capsized or broke free in heavy water.

Expanded polystyrene protected by heavy duty plastic sacks was found to be the best means of providing buoyancy for the rafts (see section on raft construction).

Various types of artificial nests or hole-nests have been developed.

The original Dutch nesting baskets are efficient as well as picturesque. The open weave is an advantage, allowing a duck to see in all directions while remaining unseen herself. Although the dimensions of the Dutch baskets vary slightly from one weaver to another, the diameter of the entrance hole remains constant at about 6 in. ( 15 cm. ) . This measurement is vital. These baskets are now obtainable from the Game Conservancy.

When placed on stakes above the water, the basket should be tilted upwards until it is at an angle of 20 to 30 degrees from the horizontal. This forces the duck to lay at the far end, as far from the crow's beak as possible. Coot and moorhen also like the baskets to nest in and are predators of mallard eggs as well. It is a good idea to reduce the populations of these birds by shooting or trapping during the open season.

Over the years experiments have been carried out with various home-made nests, the best of which is like a traditional small bird nest-box, constructed from slab-wood obtained cheaply from any sawmill. It is easy to make and not unattractive in appearance

The inside dimensions are 12 in. (30 cm.) square and 9 in. (23 cm.) high, with an entrance 6 in. (15 cm.) square. In their original form these boxes were subject to predation by corvids and the addition of a funnel entrance (to screen the nest) stopped this.

When fixing a nesting basket or box in position on a raft, it should be remembered that a parent duck sometimes likes to take her ducklings back into the nest the first night after hatching, so some form of step should be provided to ensure easy access. Cases are known where half a brood have struggled back inside the nest, while the weaker ones have been left outside to die. Where a nest is completely inaccessible, such as on stakes, no attempt is made to return.

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