Tips and tricks and other tidbits.
When managing Bluebird nest boxes, we try to keep our checks quick and non-invasive. Sometimes that is easier said than done, especially regarding nest box maintenance. We would love for every one of our boxes to have Bluebird young survive to fledge, but accidents and nature happen, and we have to step in to help. […]
Now, before you get the wrong impression from the title of this post, our little group is not performing colonoscopies on wildlife. No one wants to go there. What we are doing is testing new techniques of data collection. Well, I am using the word testing in the broadest definition. I recently purchased an endoscope […]
When checking nest boxes during the breeding season, caution is essential. We don’t want to stress the adults while they are laying eggs or feeding their young. As the chicks grow, we can count them, determine their approximate age, and address any issues quickly. Sometimes we are unable to count the chicks. The box may […]
Calling all volunteers! Suppose you’re a Niagara or Northern Erie County resident and are interested in helping out with Bluebird nestbox maintenance, data collection, or even learning more about our organization. In that case, we have our spring meeting on Saturday, April 2, at 7 PM via Zoom. We will discuss any additional measures needed […]
Our annual end of the year meeting is scheduled. We kindly ask all volunteers to join us for this event. Date: November 1, 2019 Time: 10-11 AM Location: Zion Lutheran Church, 9535 Clarence Center Rd, Clarence Center, NY 14032. We will review our current stats and how they compare to previous years. All are welcome, even […]
It’s that time of year again—the leaves are changing, the days are getting shorter, and there’s a chill in the air. The Bluebirds recognize when summer is over, and nesting comes to a halt. Our volunteers finish cleaning out the nest boxes and make repairs before the snow begins to fall. It’s the close of […]
The winter has been rough this year, but the Bluebirds are still around. The Eastern Bluebirds don’t always leave the area for warmer pastures. If they can find sources of food, shelter, and water, they will chill out in your back yard. One of our volunteers sent these photos from his home. As you can […]
Bluebird nestbox in winter. Photo by A. T. Baron We still have snow on the ground, but The Clarence Bluebird Trail is getting ready for spring. I spent a sunny but chilly afternoon checking all of our nest boxes for winter damage. Some of our boxes were easily accessible while others required me to don […]
It’s February and that means many things to the bird enthusiasts. First, The Great Backyard Bird Count is fast approaching. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology and National Audubon Society launched the event in 1998. It was the first online citizen-science project to collect data on wild birds and to display results in near real-time. The […]
If you keep up with our group, and the escapades of Bluebird Nest Box monitoring, you will know that House Sparrows (Passer domesticus) are a major problem. This invasive species will not only take over a box, but also kill nestlings and adults of other species. While out checking boxes, I had to remove a […]