Nest Box Update 6.26.18

We have one active nest with five bluebird nestlings. All but that one nest box is empty. The nest box next to the Parking Deck contains 5 newly hatched bluebirds. Look closely at the photo below. You can clearly see the main feather tracts (rows of gray “dots” where feathers will grow) on the nearly naked nestlings. All other nest boxes have been cleaned and readied for new occupancy. We still have time for another brood but that will beRead more

Nest Box Update 6.19.18

One nest box has fledged its occupants and another is waiting for its eggs to hatch. The Cow Pasture house wrens five nestlings have fledged. The nest was empty on this morning’s inspection. Explore the Wild and Into the Mist nest boxes are empty. There are 5 eggs in the bluebird nest at the Parking Deck nest box. An adult female bluebird flew from the nest as I approached it. I expect the eggs to have hatched by next week’sRead more

Nest Box Update 6.12.18

A tree nearly smashed one of the nest boxes, fresh eggs are in another nest box, and an injured or deformed and dead bird in still another. A small walnut tree came very close to landing on top of the nest box at Cow Pasture. As it is, a grape vine that had been growing on the walnut caught the top of the box. The nest box is occupied by house wrens. I could hear and finally saw the adultRead more

Nest Box Update 5.29.18

Eight birds have fledged over the past week, 5 eggs are being incubated, and one “new” bird has been discovered. The house wrens at the Cow Pasture nest are incubating their 5 eggs. They should hatch this week. The 4 chickadee nestlings that were in the nest box at the Explore the Wild nest have fledged. Likewise, the 4 bluebird nestlings in the Into the Mist nest have flown the coop. I must say, bluebirds leave a messy nest behindRead more
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Battle of the Bough

It was a struggle for home territory. A willow tree located on the northwest side of the wetlands was the site of the dispute. On one side, a resident pair of Carolina chickadees, the other, a pair of otherwise transient tree swallows. I occasionally see tree swallows passing through our area during migration. They dip into the wetlands, perhaps spend a few minutes to an hour hawking insects over the water, then they’re gone. They do, though, nest at someRead more

Nest Box Update 5.22.18

We now have four active nests, one house wren, two bluebird and one chickadee nest. The house wren nest has 5 eggs. The 2 bluebird nests have 4 nestlings each, and the chickadee nest has 4 nestlings. The Cow Pasture nest which has already added 4 new chickadees to the local avifauna now has 5 eggs laid by a house wren. There are 4 chickadee nestlings in the Explore the Wild nest box that are ready to fledge. I fearedRead more

Nest Box Update 5.8.18

There’s been both hatchings and fledgings this week. Nine birds have hatched and 8 birds have fledged. The number of hatchlings has no doubt increased as I write. Earlier this morning there were 5 unhatched eggs in the nests with newly hatched nestlings. I’m sure more have hatched in the four hours since I checked the boxes. I heard the ominous sound of a house wren as I approached the nest box at the Cow Pasture. House wrens are notoriousRead more

Nest Box Update 5.1.18

As they were last week, three of our six nest boxes are occupied by Carolina chickadees and three by eastern bluebirds. The three chickadee nests have a total of 6 eggs in one nest, and what appears to be 8 nestlings with 4 each in the other two nests. The three bluebird nests contain 8 eggs split evenly among two nests and what looks like 4 nestlings in other. The Cow Pasture nest has 4 chickadee nestlings. Two weeks agoRead more

Nest Box Update 4.24.18

This week’s inspection came out all positive. There are hatchlings, new eggs, and two nests have seen a rejuvenation. There were hungry mouths to greet me as I peered into the nest box at the Cow Pasture. Although the nest previously had 6 eggs, I could only make out 5 nestlings. There may have been one chickadee nestling under the mass of blind, naked parids that lay before me but I couldn’t see it. They’ll still be in the nestRead more