The Rewards of Monitoring

With the destruction and development of natural habitats and the introduction of non-native birds and outside cats, it has become much more difficult for wild birds to breed young that survive. Bluebirds are one species that has been drastically affected, but many are now working to help these beautiful birds. Providing nest boxes for birds in an area can help wild birds breed, but monitoring is also needed to make sure these boxes stay habitable and intact in order to protect the young birds inside.

The use of nest boxes has helped many species of birds increase from very low population numbers, along with the monitoring efforts of those such as our guest blogger today. Gene Wasserman is the Ingham, Clinton, and Eaton County Coordinator for the Michigan Bluebird Society. He monitors nest boxes extensively, and the following is an account of some things he observed this spring:

On one recent day of monitoring nest boxes at Harris Nature Center in Okemos and Fenner Nature Center in Lansing, I was lucky enough to observe the following:

I saw a Chickadee and its nest with
11 eggs (yes, 11!) and a new hatchling.

• Wrens took over two old Bluebird nests.
• Wrens had pecked Bluebird eggs in another nest.
• I observed a Wren on another nest box that had seven eggs.
• I saw a Bluebird nest with babies about 12 days old.                 
• I saw a Tree Swallow nest with babies about three days old.
• I saw a beautiful Chickadee nest with one egg, so far.
• I saw a beautiful Bluebird at its nest box with two eggs so far.
• Along the trail, I saw a female Cardinal on her nest with three eggs.
• I removed a dead, adult Tree Swallow from a nest with three eggs and observed the Tree Swallows on the nest box.
• I removed a nearby House Sparrow nest that had four eggs.
• I saw a Tree Swallow nest with six eggs that was previously occupied by a House Sparrow that had a halo installed.

I observed four Bluebird babies
about nine days old
with a Tree Swallow on the nest box
even though the Bluebird was on her nest.

I removed an old Bluebird nest that fledged five
but was infested with blowfly.

This is why we need to monitor our nest boxes; so we can learn, enjoy, and be responsible stewards for our environment.  If I had not, I would have missed a very rewarding day.