The first thing to report is that there were no eggs in any of the nests this week. I had predicted there would be eggs in at least one of the boxes. Proof again that the birds know better than I when it comes to when and where to lay their eggs. A few of the nests were worked on but several looked to be unchanged since last week. Chickadees have had a hand in the construction of four ofRead more
Posts tagged: #bluebird
Bluebird Update 5.7.13
The heavy rain and chilly nights of the past several days seems to have had little effect on the chickadees and bluebirds that are nesting on our Bluebird Trail here at the Museum. All occupants of our nest boxes seem to be doing well, even flourishing. The bluebird nestlings in the “Cow Pasture” nest seem about ready to fledge. It’s difficult to see exactly how many nestlings are crowded into that nest but it appears as though there are four.Read more
Bluebird Update 4.2.13
There are only two changes in the status of our six nest boxes since the last Bluebird Update. First, the nest in the Cow Pasture near the Train Tunnel has been completed. It was started by a bluebird, worked on by a chickadee and finished by a bluebird. Notice that the nest has pine needles as a base (bluebird), moss on top of the pine needles (chickadee), and finally it’s topped off with pine needles (bluebird). There were no eggsRead more
Bluebird Update 3.26.13
As you can see in the above photo one our bluebird nests has eggs. We’ll have to wait to see if the female lays more eggs or starts incubating right away. I didn’t see a bird in the vicinity when I inspected the box so maybe she intends to add to the clutch. In other words, she wasn’t incubating when I inspected the box on Tuesday (3/26) and they typically don’t start incubating until all the eggs are laid, soRead more
Bluebirds!!
Well, it’s that time of year again when the wild creatures of our little world here at the Museum begin to procreate, to bring more wild creatures into the world (actually, there’s probably not a month out of the year when there is not some sort of procreation going on out in the wild). Our bluebirds have begun to build nests in at least four of the six nest boxes placed out for them. One of the nest boxes holdsRead more
The Hollies
Last week I wrote about a small flock of Cedar Waxwings flying around the Outdoor Exhibit area of the Museum searching for berries. That’s what waxwings do. They’re nomadic and social. In winter you can expect to see flocks of these gentle birds wheeling across the countryside looking for fruit. You may not see them as often as you’d like (they are very attractive birds and worth your attention) but if you have a fruiting tree or vine nearby andRead more
Early Winter Update
According to the calendar we’re still in the early stages of winter. While there’s always much going on outside at this time of year, here’s just a handful of images of what you might encounter on your walk around the outdoor areas of the Museum. Stop by the and sit at the bird feeders at Bird Viewing and you might get a peek at a bluebird. This female was waiting her turn as the male was busily attacking the suetRead more
Bluebird Update July 3, 2012
I conducted my weekly bluebird nest box inspection on Tuesday July 3, with the expectation of finding 6 empty boxes. I was surprised to see a new nest in the Train Tunnel nest box. It had one egg! This will be the third brood for this box. Although one brood had failed, it shows the tenacity of these bluebirds. So, we now have five empty nest boxes, the Take Off box, Sail Boat Pond, Amphimeadow, Picnic Dome, and Butterfly HouseRead more
Bluebird Update June 14, 2012
The occupants of the nest box at the Train Tunnel are progressing as they should, no problems with water and the birds sat tight when I opened the box to have a look at them. All three nest boxes in Catch the Wind are empty. I don’t think that they will be occupied again this season, but we’ll have to wait and see to be sure. Many thanks to Landscape Tech, Jose for cutting nice clear paths for me atRead more