Top Photo: Eastern bluebird eggs. We have two fledged bluebirds and four more in the same nest which are ready to fly the coop. The other five nest boxes are empty and waiting for occupation. The Cow Pasture bluebirds which numbered six last week, are fledging. There were four bluebirds tucked into the nest against our intrusion this morning, two had already fledged. The coaxing parents were in the trees above us as we peeked into the nest box. I’llRead more
Posts tagged: #Eastern Bluebird
Nest Box Update 6.7.22
Top Photo: Eastern bluebird eggs. Two active nests include nine nestlings, six newly hatched bluebirds and what appears to be three house wrens. The Cow Pasture bluebird eggs have hatched. The birds’ eyes have yet to open. The parents are steadily supplying their offspring with plenty of protein. I can clearly count six nestlings. The nest box at Explore the Wild remains empty. Into the Mist has attracted no further activity in its nest box. Though I counted six nestlingRead more
Nest Box Update 5.3.22
Top Photo: Eastern bluebird eggs. Since last week we have seen twelve birds fledge, eight bluebirds (two different nests) and four chickadees (one nest). Two nest boxes are occupied by house wrens and one box still has three bluebird nestlings within. The Cow Pasture bluebird nestlings have fledged. The box was lightly cleaned and a new berry basket placed inside for potential future occupants. The Explore the Wild nest box remains untouched. The nest material in the box also remains,Read more
Nest Box Update 4.26.22
Top Photo: Eastern bluebird eggs. We have four nest boxes full of nestlings. With the rapidly growing nestlings its becoming difficult to tell just how many there are in each nest, they look like a big pile of feathers. Additionally, there has been one hostile takeover. The nest at the Cow Pasture is full of nestlings ready to fledge. It looks as though there are four nestlings in the nest. The Explore the Wild nest box is still on theRead more
Nest Box Update 4.19.22
Top Photo: Eastern bluebird eggs. In our seventh week of nest box inspections we have about 20 nestlings, 15 of which belong to bluebirds and 5 with chickadee parents. There are 4 chickadee eggs being incubated. The Cow Pasture nest box looks to have a full house of 5 nestlings. What appears to be a big ball of feathers and flesh is a handful of individual nestlings. If you look closely you can pick out several beaks, some feet andRead more
Nest Box Update 3.29.22
Top Photo: Bluebird nest with eggs. There are 10 eggs spread out along our six nest box trail. Seven of those eggs belong to bluebirds, three to chickadees. One nest, which had been started by bluebirds has been abandoned and reoccupied by chickadees. The Cow Pasture nest box, which last week held three bluebird eggs, now contains six. I saw neither parent while checking the box. There’s been work done on the bluebird nest in the box in Explore theRead more
All in a Day’s Work
Top Photo: Female bluebird prepares to exit nest box after delivering nest material. We have six bluebird nest boxes at the museum. At present, the boxes are in various states of development. Five have bluebird nest material in them, one a chickadee nest. One has eggs. As I walked through Catch The Wind the other day I noticed bluebird activity near one of our nest boxes. Just the day before, I had looked into this same box on my weeklyRead more
Nest Box Update 3.15.22
Top Photo: Bluebird eggs from a previous season. Over the past week, two nest boxes have change somewhat, while all the rest remain as they were last week. At last week’s inspection the nest box at the Cow Pasture contained a near complete bluebird’s nest. The nest is still in the box but hasn’t shown any progress, no new nest material added and certainly no eggs. The Explore the Wild nest box is empty with no sign of activity. Curiously,Read more
Nest Box Update 3.8.22
Top Photo: Eastern bluebird eggs (previous season). Each year I monitor six nest boxes placed in various locations throughout the museum’s 84 acres from March to August. Over the last 10 or so years that I’ve done the project habitat has changed, new exhibits have been built, and nest boxes have been moved to accommodate it all. I check the nest boxes once a week (Tuesdays) in the same order, Train Tunnel or Cow Pasture (TT), Explore the Wild (ETW),Read more