Nesting Box and Bat House Management at Hudson Farm

Introduction

Hudson Farm Club has a total of 67 nesting boxes including 32 Wood Duck boxes (Aix sponsa), 6 bat boxes (Chiropter sp), 7 Blue bird boxes (Sialia sp), 7 Screech owl boxes (Megascops asio) and 15 American Kestrel boxes (Falco sparverius). These boxes will be monitored to determine reproductive success and survival for each species.

Wood Ducks

In 2017 20 additional wood duck boxes were installed in the ponds owned by Hudson Farm and along the stream traversing Hudson Farm property. Boxes were placed in good wood duck habitat as well as where Wood ducks had been seen in the past. In 2018 an additional 8 boxes were installed.

During the spring of 2017 Wood Duck reproduction was observed along the stream.  The young were seen along upper parts of the stream. After the January 2018 Wood Duck box inspection it was observed that none of the wood duck boxes had been utilized for nesting in 2017. Thirteen of the then 28 boxes available for nesting had been occupied by Screech owls and 2 were occupied by grey squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis). As a response to the number of Screech Owls occupying Wood Duck boxes staff moved 9 boxes to poles placed in the water and added 8 additional boxes which were also placed on poles in the water as opposed to being hung on trees. Boxes placed on poles are approximately 3 feet off the water’s surface which should discourage screech owls. Wood ducks were observed on Hudson farm property in February 2018.

Bat Boxes

Bat species across the country have suffered significant declines due to the White Nose Syndrome. New Jersey has seen a decrease in the number of bats occupying hibernaculum’s and the NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife encourages the use of bat houses to help ensure the survival of bat species especially those colonies that have occupied attics. Hudson Farm has had bats occupy different buildings on the property and in 2017 placed an additional 4 bat houses along the fields in front of the main house. These boxes did not appear to have been used as of 2018 but since the houses were installed late in 2017 it is not unrealistic to assume that bats will utilize these boxes for the first time in 2018.

Blue Bird Boxes

Seven Blue Bird boxes were set in January 2018. Blue birds are a common species often seen around the farm. Blue birds were seen at the farm beginning in February 2018.