The Len Anderson Memorial Bluebird Trail (formerly known as The Clarence Bluebird Trail) was established in 2013. It is a volunteer effort to further Bluebird conservation by installing and monitoring nesting boxes. We strategically placed 44 nesting boxes at six locations in Clarence, Clarence Center, and Lockport, New York. Once in place, we check the boxes weekly during the nesting season to ensure the best chance for Bluebirds.
The trail initially started with the idea of placing Bluebird nesting boxes along the bike paths in Clarence.
Not all areas along the bike path are an ideal habitat for Bluebirds, so we expanded to other more appropriate sites in our community.
Our volunteers observe the nest boxes and collect data on the occupants or perform general maintenance weekly. The collected data is then entered online at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology NestWatch site, where we can keep track of each nest box’s status.
You can review our nest box data from the previous years here on our site.
What is NestWatch?
NestWatch is a nationwide monitoring program designed to track status and trends in the reproductive biology of birds. The data includes when nesting occurs, the number of eggs laid, how many eggs hatch, and how many hatchlings survive.
Their database is used to study the current condition of breeding bird populations and how they may be changing over time. Changes can occur as a result of climate change, habitat degradation and loss, expansion of urban areas, and the introduction of non-native plants and animals.
You can find out more about them at www.nestwatch.org.