Things That Go "toot" in the Night

It's been a successful inaugural season for banding Northern Saw-whet Owls in our area. Nearby Boyce-Mayview Park was the host for our first season.  We banded three owls, all females, in 12 nights of having nets open. Weather, in the form of either rain or high winds, was the major limiting factor for time spent at the station.

UV light is used to help determine the age of Northern Saw-whet Owls. These owls have a chemical in their feathers, called porphyrins. Newer feathers have more porphyrins than do older feathers. Porphyrins show up pink under UV light; the more consistent and intense the color, the newer the feathers. This information is used to determine age in Northern Saw-whet Owls.

We look forward to continuing this research and adding to our understanding of this elusive bird's migration. We hope to be able to offer a couple public nights in the future.

Exciting New Project

Now that the nesting season is over, migration is underway. The Northern Saw-whet Owl is our smallest owl and migrates at night. Its migration is not well-studied but efforts are underway to change that. Project Owlnet is a continent-wide project undertaken to study the migration ecology of this owl and I am pleased to announce that it will be coming to Washington County. Efforts are currently underway to establish a Project Owlnet site in Washington County, (possibly in our township) and hopefully within the next two weeks, we will be attempting to catch and band owls.
Stay tuned!

A Family Emerges

These are photos of the female (top) and male (bottom two) Eastern Bluebirds as they guard the nestbox which housed their young. The young fledged later this day, encouraged by the adults to emerge. The adults proved to be very wary and I never had the chance to band them. They continue to hunt in the area, along with their young. If you happen to be in the park, look for them near the small pond. 

Eastern Kingbird

This is another bird which you may notice in the area surrounding the nestboxes. This is an Eastern Kingbird. They eat mainly insects and berries, and are visual hunters. They will fly from a perch to grab insects, or sometimes small frogs. They are migratory birds and spend their winters in South America. This is the first year that I have noticed them consistently in the park, and they likely have raised young here. They will soon leave for South America. The birds in the park can often be found sitting on the cattails in the small pond, as they hunt insects, or perched on the small trees or fence near the pond.

Fledge Day Coming Up

In only a few days, these birds will fledge from their box. They have grown a lot and, as you can see, their feathers have emerged from the sheaths from whence they started. The amount of blue in the flight feathers indicates that the two birds in view are males. You may notice the parents hanging around the smaller trees near the box. They keep watch from here and will attempt to dissuade you from approaching the box. Please heed their warning; the nestlings are prone to premature fledging now, and quite likely would not survive. Watch from a distance and you may see the nestlings fledge when they are ready. 

Bluebird Nestlings

This nestling will soon fledge. As you can see in this photo, its flight feathers are still in sheath. Soon, they will more recognizable as the blue feathers you are accustomed to seeing on bluebirds. The nestlings seem to be well-fed and are all close in size, indicating they are all getting enough to eat. The parents are very protective of the nest. The next week is a critical time for this nest, so please keep your distance when observing. Soon, you will be able to see these birds flying around the fields, and if you watch carefully, you are likely to see the parents continuing to feed them after they have left the nest.

Bluebirds Stake a Claim

Just after "advertising" this space for rent, an Eastern Bluebird built a nest here! This is the box which hosted the first Tree Swallow family. It now holds a a delicate, grassy Eastern Bluebird nest (photos to come). Will we see pretty, blue Bluebird eggs in this nest? Only time will tell!
Further down the trail, two more Tree Swallow families have taken up residence. There are young in one box, so again, please observe from a distance.

New Tenants

Seems like a late time to start, but two new families are taking up residence in these boxes. Both boxes have active nests with eggs. They are both Tree Swallow nests. Ironically, an adult male Eastern Bluebird was feeding a fledgling right near these boxes. Maybe the bluebirds will use the boxes next year!

First Nestlings Have Fledged

 The first brood of Tree Swallows from the nestbox trail in the park has fledged. These photos show what an 11 day-old Tree Swallow looks like. At this age, the bird is not yet ready for flight, but another six or days or so is all that was needed.

 This nestling seemed alert and healthy.

 Getting ready to band the nestling, which involves placing a lightweight aluminum band around its leg, much like us putting on a ring or bracelet. Each band has a unique 9-digit number, this allows researchers to keep track of a particular bird. From this, we can potentially learn about the bird's growth, nesting patterns, migration patterns, lifespan and more.

As you can see, a bird at this age has not yet attained the feather development necessary for flight. This is why we band the nestlings at this age. If we waited longer into their feather development, we would put them at risk of premature fledging, which could jeopardize their survival. Since our first concern is for the bird's welfare, we carefully monitor their development and avoid anything that would jeopardize their health and survival.

After banding these nestlings, all nest checks were done from a distance in order to avoid a disturbance which may have caused the birds to prematurely leave the safety of their nest. Four nestlings were fledged from this nest. These birds are now flying around the ponds near their nestbox. They will not return to the nest now, as they are fully capable of flying well and catching insects as they fly. Perhaps one or more of these birds will return to this area in the future to start their own families. If that happens, you can read about it here.

When the Monitor is Away, the Birds will Play

Well, I was away for a week and knew that the odds were the nestlings in Box 1 would fledge, which they did. What surprised me was that two new families seem to have moved in to the other boxes in the park. There are two new Tree Swallow nests, with eggs. Another surprise is that the new nests are in paired boxes. The literature would suggest that when boxes are paired, Eastern Bluebirds will take one box and Tree Swallows may take the other. Supposedly, Tree Swallows do not care to nest so close together. I will be monitoring these two boxes carefully to see what develops! An Eastern Bluebird perched nearby and watched as I checked the boxes intended for him!

Today, nestlings from another box were banded. This is Day 12 for them, and the next week or so is a critical time for them to remain undisturbed. If disturbed past today, they may fledge prematurely, putting their survival in jeopardy. This particular box was a bit of a mystery: three Tree Swallows hung around this box quite a bit. One female was confirmed. Initially, six eggs were laid. After a hiatus, two more eggs showed up. Only two eggs hatched, and there are currently two healthy nestlings present. Did one female get chased off by another? Or did something happen to the first female, and is this why only two eggs were hatched? Mysteries to ponder.

If you are in the park, please continue to observe from a distance. If you are lucky, you will get to see the nestlings fledge from their box soon. I will be posting their close-ups soon.

Dive-Bombers

The nestlings are doing well, growing feathers and starting to open their eyes. They are noticeably larger each time I see them. The parents dive-bomb me as I check the nest, and even call in reinforcements. It is not unusual for six or more swallows to dive and snap their beaks as I check their nest. Soon these young birds will leave their nestbox and start exploring the park on their own. Tree Swallows are experts at flying upon leaving the nest, and will be able to catch their own food on the wing. Tree Swallows are insectivores and you will likely notice more of them swooping through the park in the next week or so. Over the course of their nesting, one family can consume up to 300,000 insects. Most of these are caught no more than 40 feet above the ground, which means while you are busy watching your kids play ball in the park, the swallows are busy snapping up the insects which might otherwise bite you. This is one reason it is important to help birds! Tree Swallows migrate south for the winter, some stopping in Florida, some going as far as Central America. Their migration will begin towards the end of summer. For now, enjoy these acrobatic fliers as they reduce the population of pesky insects.

Hatch Time!

Interestingly, this nest was built after the other Tree Swallow nest in the park nestboxes, and the eggs were laid later, yet they have hatched before the other nest's eggs. These birds hatched today and a nestling is on its way out of the egg pictured above. If you have been visiting the nestboxes, please admire from a distance so as not to upset the parents. They will be busy feeding the young for a bit.

Spooking Sparrows

 You would not be impolite to ask "What in the world is THAT?" if you have seen Nestbox #4 lately. It is sporting what is known as a "sparrow spooker;" a homemade device made to "spook" the House Sparrows which have been seen recently not far from this box. The reason we want to spook them is that they are aggressive nuisance birds, which are known to destroy eggs and kill nestlings. House Sparrows were introduced to this country in 1851.  They are not protected birds in this country and most people who manage nestboxes evict them if they are found in the boxes, or take steps such as sparrow spookers in order to deter them. As the eggs in this box have not yet hatched, we took this step to protect the eggs. Hopefully, the spooker will deter the sparrows long enough for the eggs to hatch and the birds to fledge. We watched carefully to be certain that the female swallow would accept the spooker and continue to incubate her eggs, which you can see by these photos, she did!

Swallows, of a Different Sort

 These are also swallows, but not Tree Swallows. These are Barn Swallows, which you can differentiate from Tree Swallows easily, by their color; notice the rusty color around their face, throat and to a lesser extent, their sides. Also, their blue is a different hue than that of the Tree Swallow. Barn Swallows have longer, quite noticeably forked, tails. I have posted their photos here because there have been several flying around the smaller pond each day that I have checked nestboxes, so you may notice them on your visit to the park and nestbox trail. Barn Swallows build nests from mud and grasses (notice the photo above; the swallow is sitting on the edge of the nest). They build in rafters of barns, under decks, over porches under bridges and other such structures. Go exploring and see if you can find any Barn Swallow nests! (Disclaimer: These photos are from a different location!)

Duck, duckling, duckling and more...

 These are a couple other birds which you will probably see if you visit the nestbox trail.  Above, is a female Mallard with her ducklings. The ducklings were getting out of the way of a muskrat.

This is a male Red-winged Blackbird. If you have walked through this part of the park, you have heard them singing in recent weeks. There are many males there and they all want to attract a female. They will try to outdo each others' songs and you will see them flashing their epaulets to show how attractive they are. Their song sounds like "conk-a-reeee." 

Tree Swallow Eggs

It's not easy to take photos inside a nestbox! This photo gives you an idea of what Tree Swallow eggs look like. Not the best photo, but it will do!

Visiting Hours

 Boxes 5 & 6 have had numerous visitors. In the past, I have only observed Eastern Bluebirds around the boxes. This week brought a surprise, a very brown Tree Swallow, likely a bird hatched last year, perched on the roof. A male-looking Tree Swallow was nearby, as well as a third Tree Swallow. They moved to a nearby perch as I walked by. I'll check this box soon to see if someone has taken up residence.

There are five eggs in this nestbox at last count. This is the female getting ready to leave to find some insects.The average incubation time for Tree Swallows is 14-15 days, which means soon there will be some hatchlings.

Tree Swallows Have Finished Nest

 This Tree Swallow may dive-bomb you if you walk too close to the nestbox. You will likely not get hit, but he will come close.

 This is the female peering out of the nestbox. The nest appears to be complete and she will likely start laying eggs soon.

Bluebirds are Still Checking out Boxes

Today, after watching the male and female Tree Swallows at their nestbox, we observed a male and a female bluebird seemingly staking a claim to a nestbox further from the swallows. It is getting to be a little late for them to start building a nest, but time will tell if they decide to. Stay tuned.

Tree Swallow Nest Photo

This is what the nest looks like so far. Notice the feathers near the bottom. When the nest is finished, the cup of it will be lined with feathers, which curve in and help conceal the eggs. You may wonder where the swallows find the feathers. There are waterfowl in the same area and the swallows are good at finding feathers which have been left behind by some of the waterfowl in the area.

Tree Swallows Making a Home

 Here is the female peeking out of the box, while the male zips by above and to the right.

Again, the female is peering out of the box. If it stops raining, I will be able to get some better photos with a larger camera.

Location! Location! Location!

 The birds are carefully evaluating their real estate options. The photo above shows a male Eastern Bluebird. He was checking out the two boxes with a female. The female entered one of the boxes twice, before they both flew off.

Pictured above is a pair of Tree Swallows. We watched them have a dispute with several other Tree Swallows and a pair of Eastern Bluebirds. There is nesting material in the box beside this one, which appears to be the beginnings of a Tree Swallow nest. Both bluebirds went in and out of that box, while the Tree Swallows chattered and dive-bombed them. They all flew off after about five minutes and then this pair of swallows returned to "guard" this box.

Stay tuned. It's sure to be an interesting nesting season.

Tenants

There may be tenants in one of the nestboxes! This morning a male and a female were observed at one of the boxes. The male was perched on the roof and the female came out of the box, perching briefly at the entrance. They both flew to a nearby perch as I walked by.
Eastern Bluebirds display this behavior as part of their "courtship." The male will perch at a possible nesting sight, as if to say "look at this great home I've picked out for us." The female will check it out and decide whether the home will meet their needs. If she decides it is a good place, she will then begin nest building activities.
I will be watching this box carefully to see if this pair has decided to use it as their home. 
Several other pairs of Bluebirds were seen in the area this morning as well. 
I hope to get some good photos soon.

Activity Continues

Male and female bluebirds continue to be observed perching on or near the nestboxes. Nest-building should be starting in the coming weeks, so perhaps a pair or two will choose one of the boxes for their nest.  The arrival of Tree Swallows is imminent, so look for them around the boxes as well. They readily utilize these type of boxes for their nests.  Spring is on the way!

Possibilities

There have been signs of activity around the nestboxes and this morning a male bluebird was perched on one of the nestboxes. A female sitting on the fence close by seemed to be communicating with him. Male Eastern Bluebirds will display at possible nest sites to attract a female. They may carry nesting material into the cavity, or box in an effort to show what a great home he has picked out. Does this mean the two birds I saw today will claim this box?  The only way to know is to keep watching. If you are walking in the park, take some time to see if you can spot any bluebirds around the boxes. Please do not disturb the boxes, but watch from a distance. Remember, photos of activity will be posted here. Keeping your distance gives these birds the best chances of success! 

Free Mealworms!

Bluebirds, along with other birds, LOVE to eat mealworms. Mealworms can be purchased from bird seed stores, feed stores, or from many online sources. However, if you join the North American Bluebird Society, you will receive a coupon or two for some free mealworms (you do have to pay for the shipping, which is about $6).  So, if you are interested in supporting bluebirds, and you would like to try feeding mealworms, click on the link and get started.

First Box Check

I checked the boxes today to see if there were any signs of roosting, or signs of mice invasions, but came up empty. The boxes are clean and ready for some tenants. There were several bluebirds flying around the area, so hopefully, they will pick out their preferred boxes in the coming weeks.

New Tenants?

Today I observed two Eastern Bluebirds sitting in close proximity to one set of the nestboxes. Will they use the boxes? Only time will tell.

If you happen to be in the park and notice any bird activity near the boxes, leave a note under comments, please.

Spring is on the way.

The Boxes

Here are some looks at the boxes, in case you have not braved the snow, cold and wind to go see them.  Some people have asked why the boxes are in pairs.  The reason the boxes are "paired" is that there are also Tree Swallows in this area, and they will use the same boxes as Eastern Bluebirds.  When boxes are paired, such as this arrangement, Tree Swallows will use one box and Eastern Bluebirds will use the other. By arranging the boxes this way, we up the chances of Bluebirds nesting and not being crowded out by the Tree Swallows. Hopefully, we will see both of these species using the boxes this year!

A special "thank-you" to the Peters Township Parks & Recreation Department and Department of Public Works for working with me on this project.