Thursday, June 15, 2017

Como Park Bluebird Trail Update: June 14, 2017

Can you find the mother tree swallow's tail
in this picture?


Post contributed by Sharon, volunteer bluebird trail monitor:

Fourteen birds fledged in the past week—nine bluebirds and five chickadees. There are ten more bluebirds ready to fledge in the next week or so, and three new bluebird eggs laid. Two boxes have at least six young tree swallows in them, and one more box has tree swallows in it, but mom was sitting on the nest and didn’t allow any observations. A chickadee mom is also hunkered down on her nest, staying put no matter what—she probably learned this was necessary when fending off the encroachments of persistent tree swallows two weeks ago. If she’s still on the nest next week, though, it could mean her eggs are not viable and won’t hatch.

Como Park Bluebird Trail Update: May 31, 2017

Post contributed by Sharon, volunteer bluebird trail monitor:


Recently hatched bluebirds.
The cool weather in the past two weeks hasn’t stopped the bluebirds, chickadees, and tree swallows from progressing with their nesting activities at Como Park. Four nest boxes contain 19 bluebirds—9 over a week old and 10 more recently hatched. Two boxes have chickadees inside—one has 5 over-a-week-old chickadees and the other has eggs. The chickadees with eggs in their nest are being challenged by a pair of tree swallows who sit on top of the box and claim it as their own. I installed a smaller 1-1/4” entrance hole guard so only the chickadees could enter the box, and maybe that will encourage those tree swallows to look elsewhere for a box of their own. Two nest boxes have at least 8 tree swallow eggs inside, and three nest boxes contain partial nests that may have been abandoned.
A nest full of chickadees, over a week old.