ROSELAND PARK TRAIL
The Roseland Park Trail is my fourth trail. It is located in northeastern CT in a 60 acre public park. The area has a large (96 acre) lake to the east, with mowed lawn, some hardwood/coniferous forest, a nine-hole golf course to the west, and a Little League field to the south. There are two purple martin houses (no purple martins) on the property, along with a caretaker’s house and barn.
The six existing boxes in 2008 were made by a volunteer and installed on metal posts (no baffles), maybe around 2004. When I checked them in the fall of 2007, they either had mouse nests, house wren nests, or bumblebees in them, with the exception of #28 which had an active bluebird nest, and #23 which had what appeared to be a partial bluebird nest with a House Wren nest on top. Wooden boxes usually take quite a beating from the weather. Many were quite wet inside (due to cracked roofs or open seams).
I “adopted” the trail in 2008. My husband repaired (caulked and straightened) existing boxes, added two more, and began a weekly monitoring program. There are just 8 boxes: 3 slots (one of which is a Troyer), and the remainder are NABS boxes with standard 1.5″ holes.
This trail is NOT monitored except once in the winter at the end of each year. The boxes are either NABS or slot style, mounted on metal poles with no predator guards. The wood on some is deteriorating. Most are in woods or brambles on the edge of the 9 hole golf course. Mice were expected to be a big challenge here, along with House Wrens. No HOSP have been seen or heard here.
This trail is located across the street from the Roseland Park trail. I do not currently have the time to monitor the golf course trail. In the meantime, I am using it as an informal productivity comparison for the actively monitored Roseland Park trail.
NOTE: No boxes were found in either location (Roseland Park or golf course) with this number: 12, 13, 14, 18, 19, 21, 24, 27
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SUMMARY OF ANNUAL RESULTS – Number of Nests /Eggs
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| YEAR | YEAR | # boxes | EABL | TRES | BCCH | HOSP | TUTI | HOWR |
| 2007 | Park – not monitored |
6
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1/3?
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None?
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None?
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None?
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None?
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?
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| 2008 | Park – monitored |
9
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2 pair, 4 nestings, 1 failed, 18 eggs, 16 fledged
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0
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1 – 6 eggs, 2/3 hatched, 2 fledged
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1 attempt?
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0
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4 nests, assume 14 fledged
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| 2008 | Golf Course – not monitored |
17
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2 failed nests (8 eggs) |
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
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unknown – looks like 4 boxes uses |
| 2009 | Park – monitored |
9
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| 2009 | Golf Course – not monitored |
15
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? or TRES
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?
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1
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0
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0
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6 – some probably dummies
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– Glenn Williams, Bluebird_L, 2007
