Hackensack Riverkeeper, Wild Birds Unlimited Install

Wood Duck Nest Boxes At Mehrhof Pond

 

As a result of a unique partnership, three families of Wood ducks - one of North America’s most strikingly beautiful waterfowl - can now raise broods here at the northern edge of the NJ Meadowlands. Thanks to Hackensack Riverkeeper, Wild Birds Unlimited of Paramus (WBU) and the Bergen County Utilities Authority (BCUA), three nest boxes are now in place on the shores of Mehrhof Pond in Little Ferry.

“I’ve been leading Eco-Walks here along the Nature Trail since 1999 and I’ve often thought that the Pond would be the perfect place for Wood ducks to nest,” said Hugh Carola, Hackensack Riverkeeper’s program director. “Now all we have to do is wait and see.”

Mehrhof Pond and the Nature Trail are part of a 106-acre natural area located on BCUA property adjacent to agency’s wastewater treatment facility. Because the area is not open to the general public, it has become a haven for wildlife, especially large numbers of waterfowl. Guided tours are permitted by appointment. By each December, people are treated to the sight of thousands of overwintering ducks, geese and other waterbirds in and around the pond.

“Although largely unknown and unseen by the public, both Mehrhof Pond and the beautiful but reclusive Wood Duck are important and valuable natural resources in our midst - reminders of the wonderful natural heritage with which we’ve been entrusted,” said Ira Grindlinger, co-owner of Wild Birds Unlimited in Paramus. WBU donated the poles and hardware necessary to mount the boxes.

Unlike most waterfowl which nest on the ground, Wood ducks evolved to nest in tree cavities. The ducks also have the ability to perch on branches–an unusual sight to those fortunate enough to observe it. In the past, Wood ducks suffered from heavy hunting pressure (their meat is prized for its delicate flavor) and habitat loss. Fortunately, like other cavity-nesting birds (Chickadees, Bluebirds, Tree swallows, etc.) Wood ducks readily take to nest boxes. Beginning in the 1950s, a comprehensive program of nest box placement was undertaken and many can now be seen along the shores of ponds and marshes throughout New Jersey.

“We installed the boxes on freestanding steel poles augured into the ground,” explained WBU’s Don Torino, who added that because of the weight of the boxes, each eight-foot pole had two feet of its length set underground. “The last thing we did before placing the boxes was to install baffles to prevent raccoons from climbing the pole and preying on any eggs.”

Smaller than the more common Mallard, Wood ducks are prolific breeders with hens often laying a dozen or more eggs at a time. Within a day or two of hatching, the ducklings climb out of the nest box and launch themselves to the ground or the water as the mother duck whistles from below (unlike most other duck species, Wood ducks don’t quack). Ducklings have even been observed freefalling more than 20 feet from natural tree cavity nests to the forest floor, after which they scamper unhurt to the safety of the water.

Freshwater Mehrhof Pond is an anomaly within the generally brackish Meadowlands, having been accidentally created when a large clay pit filled up with groundwater in the early 20th century. Coupled with the decline of the local brick-making industry, in which the clay was used, the area reverted back to a mostly natural state. As such, it provides excellent habitat for dabbling ducks like Mallards, Gadwall and, of course, Wood ducks.