Copyright © 2026

​June 6, 2026. Admittedly we're just finishing the first week in June, but other than the Mallard pair with just 4 ducklings, which disappeared within a few days, plus a very small number of goslings in a park one suburb north of here, no longer yellow but bigger, we have not seen a single Wood Duck duckling. This is the first year since I've moved here that we haven't.

While it's still early, we're not seeing any lone males anymore either. Although we are seeing quite a few groups of male Mallards and some geese. 

What are we seeing? A very active raccoon, and if you see one there are more. We hear it rattling the bird seed container at night, jumping on the neighbor's garbage cans, causing typical raccoon mayhem. Raccoons love eggs. 

There was a break of a few years where we had no Wood Duck house because it was no longer safe for husband to try to put the pole in via the row boat. Then he thought of creating the little platform out into the river and attaching his Wood Duck house on one taller pole at the end of it.  That seemed to work for a few years, but we also never had such an aggressive raccoon or two roaming at night. We don't know if it's arms are long enough to reach into the hole of the Wood Duck house, but it would surely be able to rob nests in trees.  We also saw a great number of red-winged blackbirds snooping around and in the house, plus another anonymous birds. I read that Wood Ducks don't like to be pestered, although let me tell you about a story regarding a momma Wood Duck and a red-tailed black bird. Note: this story had witnesses too, at least 4 other folks sitting on the big dock with us, quite a few years ago.

We were having a get-together with a Church small group on Sunday late afternoon and sitting out on the dock looking at the house, which was then out in the river a few feet from shore on a pole.  Out of nowhere, we witnessed a female Wood Duck go into the house and then come out with a baby red-winged black bird which which she proceeded to swim all the way across the river to the park on the other side and deposit. Red-winged blackbirds chased her all the way across, diving at her, doing what they often do to people.  But she was a female on a mission and she successfully completed it. She returned to the Wood Duck house and had a nice batch of ducklings some time after. 

That observation makes me thing the Red-winged black birds pestering the house shouldn't be too much of an obstacle for a determined female to overcome this year. So what else could be the problem, if it is indeed a problem? 

Besides the obnoxious raccoon, we did spot a gray fox for the first time late last Summer. Gray fox are skilled tree climbers and frequently raid bird nests. With the Wood Duck house having tree branches now surrounding it, and a gray fox being fairly light, it would be no problem for one to climb out on a branch onto the house. The gray fox could also easily climb up the trees for nests there.

What brought the rare to this area gray fox here? Noise. The recording of a goose being tortured at regular intervals to keep geese away not only lured in eager predators, but might have frightened away other birds as well. 

Is there something else that could be a problem? Not one, but many.

All the construction going on now. Which doesn't surprise me with the Wood Ducks, but the lack of female Mallards with ducklings is surprising, and of course the geese.

A few years ago I heard Naperville, the suburb some many seem to want to emulate, somehow added birth control to they fed. No doubt the geese are dirty and can be obnoxious, and I have no real opinion about that one way or another. But the lack of geese could just mean that policy has been introduced here.

Another trend I've noticed in the last few years is that as these mysteriously appearing weeds that have started growing in, up to the shoreline make it much harder for a momma duck to negotiate through the tangle and keep a good eye on her babies. Initially when ducklings are light  they can skim over the weeds, but momma can't, it's often slow going for her, and they follow behind their mom. It's difficult for a mother duck to feel safe when she's worried about entrapping her ducklings in weeds, rather than able to get to a safe spot closer to shore.

Is there clearer water elsewhere along our river? I don't know, but haven't seen that many ducks/geese in the parks north of here. There is so much construction immediately south of here, it will be some time before checking out those parks.

Ducks going elsewhere to raise their babies might be a problem here. Or it might be the results of a well-documented scientific study conducted twice by U of I and paid for by Ducks Unlimited which pointed out a few issues. Although the first study made the most sense to me, which was one of a female needs to feel safe before nesting, and when nesting needs to feel safe to birth... females! If there aren't many females, there will be less ducks. That will be more fully explored at a later date too, God willing & helping.

I do know it's much more difficult for kayakers to even launch their boats. A night kayaker capsized and he was so entangled in the weeds, he really began to panic. This was a very experienced kayaker and fortunately someone else came along to help him right his kayak.  Have started researching from where these weeds came, and there are some provocative possibilities.  We also have many photos of what exactly the shoreline looked at, for over 20 years and so the year the weeds began to grow is fairly easy to determine  as well.

As the weeds have emerged, I'm not seeing as many clams in the river, which were a primary source of food for many animals. The raccoons used to eat clams. Perhaps as that protein food source lessened, they turned more to high protein eggs.

The weeds have greatly affected the big birds too. Whereas they used to sit on an over-hanging branch and with their sharp eyes spot a fish then fly down and spear it, the weeds started blocking their view. They don't walk along the shore as often either, probably due to the clinging nature of the weeds.  So invasive weeds affect more than just humans and their enjoyment of the river, the harm the wildlife as well, although some experts will claim it's good for the wildlife. Not if originally the weeds weren't here, and have been put her due to human foibles.  Building construction has not caused this, but "experts" playing with possibilities, without fully evaulating possible harm from their "plans", such as how Asian carps were introduced into our water systems were. 

God made all things to work together and gently merge in with humans as we entered into the picture, and acclimated to our unique relationships with them.  Trying to force things back to pre-humans utilizing the river era doesn't help them, anymore than cutting off natural benefits to humans in the park systems benefits people.  But that's another story, about a conflict of interest that never had to happen, and both humans and some insects could have both greatly benefitted, without harming park visitors.  It's not about the environment vs. park users and home owners, but the environment plus park users and home owners.  And the word: stake-holder has very different definitions when it comes to paying local taxes. But that is a different story as well.

Which brings home the whole point of what has been a key idea in this area which is also a Christian one- "all things work together for good".  Homeowners are not the bad guys, we pay the taxes which support the parks, and also even such entities as the ILDNR, plus local governing bodies.  We also provide quiet safe havens for wildlife when parks get too noisy. Or demolished so a "native" park of limestone and/or weeds can be put in.  Animals don't have much use for thightly packed weeds, but they do trees and bushes. Who likes weeds? Bugs. But bugs don't require a shoreline, where allergens slap people in the face who walk or bike by, instead of the cleansing fresh breeze coming off a clean river without more weeds choking it.  That phenomenon is called ionization. It's a miracle cure. 

Our parks could have left the shorelines alone for the humans and moved the weed patches for the bugs in the middle between bike trail and a high way. They would have been a sound buffer for those on the trail, plus the wind, which blows primarily from west to east, would have blown the allergens away from those utilizing the bike trail. 

The patch could have become a lovely weed garden, with a walking path in it, maybe a sun dial in the center, with a few chairs tucked in, for those without allergies or any fears of additional bugs. And it could have been large, catching all the benefits of the wind blowing off the river and cross-polinating it.

But, instead of thinking practically, which can benefit all... one group who seems to be anti-human, chose the just benefit the bugs and quite literally harm humans. How? In so many ways, which, God helping, will be discussed later, with a bibliography. 

How does this relate to the ducks? The weeds get so thick, ducklings, etc... can't walk through nor can momma see predators hiding. A 6-8' tall weed is like a fence, keeping them out. It also keeps people away from the river, and not seeing that the ducks and other river birds are missing. And so are the people. It is not pleasant sitting on a park bench looking at at a small glimpse of river, then at an ugly wall of weeds, hiding the entire river view. Butterflies do not need a river view.  And a breeze is just as effective 20 feet away from the river for them, without a tall wall of weeds blocking the health-filled breeze for people. 

Note to me: The Big Kahuna- future page, big tech and the river?  The real canary in the coal mine? Why lay cable along a river? Effects?

​(Example: Messes up bird navigation***, what effect on us? Recall: Eagles and Windmills. ***Triple verify research sources.)

Under Construction.  There is no button for this "page." It's really a mish-mash of a few different topics, needing to be sorted. Some will have their own pages, God willing & helping.

Also, it's still early. We may see some ducklings and others yet.

Question: Where are all the ducks and even geese this year? 

(I'm hoping my asking this question will be a Murphy's Law kind of thing. If I starting to question & write it, they'll start showing up.

Many of the following ideas are not ones I particularly want to delve into, especially at my age, but if not me, an observer of a few decades, who will? )