Wood ducks slowly migrating into southeastern Idaho

A couple of ducks caught my eye as I was crossing the Hibbard bridge that crossed the South Fork of the Teton River this week.

“Wood ducks,” I thought as I stopped on the bridge and a couple of pictures proved my thought was correct. It was my first sighting of them this year.

My plans changed from looking for nesting great-horned owls to hitting my favorite areas where woodies nest or migrate through the Rexburg area. I found the Texas Slough still frozen over; Warm Slough was ice-free, and three woodies took off as I stopped. The Henrys Fork of the Snake River was open but no sign of them southwest of St. Anthony. I found Camas Creek, running into Mud Lake was full of water. Water users of Mud Lake had started the pumps that fill the lake and I got lucky and got pictures of a couple of woodies flying over the open water.

The lack of open water and the snow-covered fields during March has stopped or delayed many of the annual spring migrations of birds. Without open stubble fields, pocketed by large puddles created by melting snows, the waterfowl do not have a food source during their migration. Most area lakes are still covered with ice eliminating resting areas for these migrating birds. I was surprised to find woodies here before the large migrations of mallards, northern pintails and American wigeons have come through the area. Only a few small flocks of snow geese and tundra swans have been seen, but reports are that they have made it to the Shelley area in good numbers.

In the last few years, the population of wood ducks has increased in eastern Idaho as we continue to find nesting pairs in the large cottonwoods along area rivers. We are also getting more of these waterfowl migrating through during the late migration in May. Last year I watched and photographed about 40 of them that migrated through our area. The ones that I saw this week appeared to be nesting pairs as they are scouting out trees for cavities to nest in.

With the predicted warm weather this next week, we should see an influx of waterfowl in the Osgood area, west of Idaho Falls, Market and Mud Lakes. I understand that the Department of Fish and Game will open the road into Market Lake as soon as the elk move north off the management area. The road on the north side of Mud Lake remains closed until it dries up and on a recent trip through the Osgood area, I saw many culverts have been replaced with large ones to help save from washouts.

It is surprising that I have seen more woodies than hooded mergansers, but that may change this next week. With water running into Mud Lake, hoodies will be joined by their larger cousins, the red-breasted mergansers, which usually join them on Camas Creek near Mud Lake.

With the warm weather on the horizon, I am predicting an exciting time in the next month for opportunities to view migrating waterfowl and the arrival of burrowing and short-eared owls. Songbird migration will also be stacked together with them as the mud season is starting.

I would suggest that you keep a journal about what you see as strange things are happening. This week a couple sent me pictures of a northern screech-owl that visited their home and was being harassed by black-billed magpies. It was a rare sighting that needed to be recorded. If you have an unusual encounter with wildlife, let me know, it is always fun to hear from you.

Keep your eyes alert for wood ducks, I believe they are increasing in our area and are nesting in greater numbers. You can attract them to wooded areas by supplying nest boxes for them which will also encourage them to stay around. I have found that not only will they use them but the northern saw-whet owls and hooded mergansers will also use them.

Be safe and use your hazard lights if you park on the side of a road while observing and photographing wildlife.