Post contributed by Sharon, volunteer Bluebird Trail monitor:
A windy day on the trail this morning. After last Friday’s storm I checked all the nest boxes but one—today I found it had had a close call with an uprooted ash. The 5 young bluebirds inside fledged unscathed.
A windy day on the trail this morning. After last Friday’s storm I checked all the nest boxes but one—today I found it had had a close call with an uprooted ash. The 5 young bluebirds inside fledged unscathed.
A total of 14 bluebirds fledged in the past week and I cleared out those nest boxes so they are ready for Round Two. On top of one of the old nests, a house sparrow had already built a nest. I removed it, too. I also had to remove the begininings of a wasp’s nest from the underside of another box. Bluebirds nest two to three times per summer. Given the late start this year I wouldn’t expect any to nest three times.
Now, there are three boxes with 10 young bluebirds and eggs in them. I was able to show two boxes to kids in the Audubon summer birding class on Wednesday, one with newly hatched bluebirds and one with bluebird eggs.
Today I peeked into the chickadee box, but didn’t open it wide since the 8 young birds inside totally fill the flimsy nest and would have toppled out.
Five tree swallows will likely fledge this coming week. I was surprised when I opened the other tree swallow box (the one with all the feathers I’d never been able to see into properly)—I’d thought I might find the nest empty and the young fledged, but mom was sitting on the nest, on hatchlings that appeared to be less than a week old.
I observed the wren nest box and heard peeping inside. Soon enough, one parent flew in, while the other arrived with a juicy caterpillar in its beak.
