Bluebird Update 7.5.16

One week after finding 4 bluebird eggs in the nest at the Cow Pasture, not much else has changed. There’ve been no changes to either of the five nest other nest boxes, all are empty except the Cow Pasture nest, although the eggs in that nest have still not hatched. The only change in the Cow Pasture nest is the fact that the eggs have been moved, rearranged. It’s part of the incubation process for birds to turn their eggsRead more

Nesting Season Continues

Nesting season is still going strong. A pair of green herons has taken up residence in a willow tree in the wetlands, great-crested flycatchers seem to be using a wood duck nest box for what is probably their second brood of the season, and many other bird species are proceeding with their annual attempts at increasing the bird population. Green herons have built a nest in a black willow within easy view of the main Wetlands Overlook. In fact, in 2013,Read more

Bluebird Update 6.28.16

The only active nest on our six nest box bluebird trail is the Cow Pasture nest box located near the train tunnel. It contains four bluebird eggs. It’s not too late to start a second brood but I suspect this will be the last bluebird nest of the season. See you next week.Read more

All in a Day’s Work

It was midday on a hot, muggy day in June. There were four juvenile raccoons on an island thirty or so feet from the boardwalk where I and two museum visitors stood watching them. An adult raccoon (I assume the mother) was in the lead. She was trying to coax the little ones into the water. What were the raccoons doing on the island? There’s a wood duck nest box on the island. It was installed about five years agoRead more

Bluebird Update 6.21.16

Finally, activity on the bluebird trail. Two eggs have been deposited in the nest at the Cow Pasture, and they are bluebird eggs. It’s been over a month and a half since the first brood of bluebirds and chickadees fledged from their four respective nests. Several of the nest boxes had false starts for a second nesting in May, whether by house wrens or bluebirds. All activity ceased weeks ago. The female bluebird wasn’t incubating the two eggs in theRead more

Bluebird Update 6.15.16

There’s not much to report this week. All nests appear to be inactive. The only nest that showed any change at all was the nest in the nest box at the Cow Pasture. It seems a house wren brought in a few twigs to top off the bluebird nest that was already there. By this time each year there’s usually a second brood of bluebirds in one of our six nest boxes. We’ve had 21 fledged birds so far, 15 bluebirdsRead more

Bluebird Upate 6.7.16

The only thing to report, in regards to our bluebird trail, is the fact that nothing has changed. All of the nest boxes are as they were last week. There have been no new nests built and no eggs have been deposited in nests that already exist (bluebird at Cow Pasture and house wren at Butterfly House). Typically in June, we would have two, perhaps three, active nests. Each nest would contain three or four eggs or nestlings. It’s stillRead more

Bluebird Update 5.31.16

Last week, I had predicted that there would be a completed nest and at least two eggs in the nest at the Amphimeadow. I also stated that I tend to be wrong in my predictions. The trend continues. There has been no further nest material added to the nest at the Amphimeadow, and of course, there are no eggs in the nest. Although there are three empty nest boxes, there has been activity in two of the boxes. One nestRead more

Bluebird Update 5.24.16

Things have been slow on the Museum of Life and Science Bluebird Trail. Four of the nest boxes have seen no activity and two of them minimal industry. One house wren and one bluebird have been the only interested parties concerning the nest boxes. The Cow Pasture nest remains empty as does the nest box next to the Bungee Jump (Take Off!). The Sailboat Pond nest has had no activity in the past four weeks. The Amphimeadow nest box hasRead more