2009

September 16, 2009

by Jane Morton Galetto, CU President

We at Citizens United are very excited about a small stretch of the Maurice River between Main Street and the Union Lake spillway.  The City of Millville has recently completed connections between Buck Park and Waltman Park.  And the walk from Brandriff to the Union Lake Spillway is chock full of wildlife to enjoy.

So much so that we were inspired to install wood duck boxes and an osprey pole in the area.  If those items survive misguided ne’er-do-wells then, with City permission, we will embark upon interpretative boards for walkers and joggers to offer a greater appreciation of the wildlife resources on the trail.  Thus far Liz Nicke has had great enthusiasm for wildlife projects along the walk.  We think the potential is limitless for increasing the public’s knowledge about our local feathered and furred residents- and flora too!

Wood ducks are reliant on hollowed-out dead trees for their nests.  Since so many trees were harvested for fuel during the Industrial Revolution, few in our area exist that are in excess of 100 years old.  And even fewer ones are left standing.  So in order to help a vast array of cavity-nesting species, people have built nesting boxes.  Our wood duck boxes are the products of a number of hands.  Like many of our projects we get lots of folks involved so as to increase an awareness about our region’s species.  These boxes were cut and predrilled by our members so a summer enrichment Vineland youth group called RAFT could assemble them. The following summer the students stained the boxes (and of course themselves a bit, too).  Members cut down dead cedars to use for poles.  The boxes affixed to the poles were placed in the marshes along the river walk.  The predator guards are to keep snakes, raccoons and opossums from eating the eggs.

Wood ducks incubate their eggs for about 30 days.  But when the young hatch they will only use the box for one day!  Some folks ask if our boxes are a tad high for such a young jumper.  In fact ducklings can make leaps from a staggering 60’ in the air and land safely.  But after that, many perils await the young fuzz balls.  Bass, snapping turtles, foxes, dogs, cats and gosh only knows what else find them tasty morsels.

Wood ducks are so popular that about 250-300 people visit our website each month simply to look over the nesting box plans!

If wood ducks don’t use the nests it is not uncommon to have a screech owl take up residence. Hey, how cool is that? Very!

Oh, yes - the osprey pole.  We might get an inexperienced pair to play house, but the pole went up too late for this year’s nesting season.  However, based on the number of osprey fishing this stretch of the river you should at least see it used as a feeding perch.

This time of year you can watch osprey diving for fish repeatedly, especially between the walk coming off  Mulford Ave and the Spillway.  Seeing osprey take fish is one of nature’s more dramatic shows.  Osprey dive head first making an almost imperceptible flip to plunge their talons into the water to capture their prey.  The osprey diet is almost 100% fish, although there are some records of them taking small alligators in the Florida Everglades.  And some locals have told me that they have seen them with a muskrat, but I’m still a Doubting Thomas on that one.

Sorry but I’ve got to grab my binoculars and get out on the trail, there’s lots to see and do. I hope to CU on the River.

CU on the River!