Click on image above for larger version. In 2008, this trail consists of 8 boxes.
See trail description. I"adopted" this trail in 2008. I put small squares of "Bounce" fabric softener sheets in boxes that had mice in 2007/2008 as a deterrent. All boxes were cleaned and caulked on 3/23/08. No boxes have baffles, but all are mounted on metal poles, about 5 feet off the ground. I expect House Wren problems, but will wait one year before moving boxes.
3/23: EABL pine needles? left.
3/30: EABL nest 1/2 done
4/7: nest complete, no egg
4/10: mouse in nest. Removed, removed grass addition.
4/13: no egg, no bluebirds around. Placed plastic bottle baffle on box.
4/15: 2 eggs!
4/17: 4 eggs, installed wren guard.
4/20: 5 eggs, male perching. Two fell out, replaced. Fed mealworms.
4/26, 5/1: 5 eggs, doing fine
5/11: babies about 1/2 way at least, eyes open
5/17: babies fine
5/30: All fledged, cleaned, blow flies.
6/7: 2nd nest, 3 eggs, put wren guard back.
6/12: 5 eggs!
7/26: fledged
NABS 22
lawn, garden, 40? ft from 23
?
HOWR S
5 HOWR
4/15, 20, 26: empty
5/11, 17: still empty, rmd bounce square
6/7: HOWR 3d rmd
6/12: HOWR, 6eol
7/26: 5 HOWR, 1 jumped out, returned to box
TROYER 9
lakefront, lawn
New in 2008
HOWR F
EABL S
EABL 4 eggs, 4 hatched, 4 fledged
4/15, 20: empty. Box moved to center grass island.
4/26: HOSP? Not sure. Feather
5/1: no feathers, no other change
5/11, 17, no change, rmd
5/30: HOWR, few sticks, removed
6/7: empty, but EABL perched
6/12: HOSP?
7/26: 4 bluebirds ~ 1 week
fledged (moved from NABS 10T?)
4/15: empty
4/20: Male bluebird seen, partial nest.
4/26: no eggs, complete nest
5/1: 3 eggs
5/11: 3 eggs.
5/17: 1 unhatched, 2 nestlings
5/30: Babies still there.
6/7: fledged, nest remd, 1 unhatched egg.
6/12: new nest, 1 egg!
7/?: 1 egg
7/26: Empty, not flattened. Moved to Troyer?
Notes:
Mice are clearly going to be the biggest challenge here, along with House Wrens. No HOSP seen.
4/15: saw female bluebird. No action other than mice in other boxes.
4/26: heard a HOSP by barn. Realized there are a bunch of boxes on the golf course too! All had mouse, paperwasps, some HOWR and 3 with flying squirrels, one with EABL nest.
5/1: removed Bounce, may be deterring birds.
2008 Roseland GOLF COURSE Log
ID
2007 USE (forensic guess)
2008 Attempt #, Species & Fate
Dates
Notes
?
Bluebird and HOWR
25
Flying squirrel
Flying Squirrel
4
Mouse? Bluebird?
EABL F
4/26: 4 eggs
5/11: at least 1 hatched
4/26: dropped all eggs on ground while cleaning out mouse part
5/3: 1 egg hatching - see photo
5/11: 1 broken egg, 1 broken partially developed, no baby
5/17: empty (a little mouse/FS? material?
1
Mouse and HOWR
29
Bluebird in past, Mouse and HOWR
30
Ants and Mouse
7
Mouse/squirrel
20
Flying Squirrel
Flying Squirrel
16
Flying Squirrel
Flying Squirrel
26
?nest
4/26: PW
21
Mouse/Flying Suqirrel
12
Mouse
4/26: 4 eggs
4/26: dropped all eggs on ground while cleaning out mouse part
5
Mouse
8
Mouse and PW
4/26: PW
17
Mouse and wasps
4/26: PW
6
Mouse and wasps
4/26: PW
SUMMARY OF ANNUAL RESULTS - Number of Nests /Eggs
YEAR
# boxes
EABL
TRES
BCCH
HOSP
TUTI
HOWR
2007 (not monitored)
6
1/3?
None?
None?
None?
None?
?
2008 (monitored)
8
2 pair, 4 nestings, 1 failed, 18 eggs, 16 fledged
0
2?
1 attempt?
0
4 nests, assume 14 fledged
When Nature made the bluebird she wished to propitiate both the sky and the earth, so she gave him the color of the one on his back and the hue of the other on his breast, and ordained that his appearance in spring should denote that the strife and war between these two elements was at an end. He is the peace-harbinger; in him the celestial and terrestrial strike hands and are fast friends. He means the furrow and he means the warmth; he means all the soft, wooing influences of the spring on the one hand, and the retreating footsteps of winter on the other.
John Burroughs, The Bluebird, 1867
