Again, the bluebirds have proven they don’t read the book. I witnessed bluebirds at Rye Town Park today, near the parking lot and actively looking for insects around a dumpster. This is the last place I would expect to see bluebirds – in House Sparrow heaven. 

I was there to consult with two members of the Friends of the Rye Town Park. They installed 5 bluebird nestboxes this spring around the duck pond and asked me to advise them if they were in the right location and determine what species, if any, had nested there. 

I expected to find mostly house sparrows (getting free food from the people feeding the ducks) and perhaps tree swallows feeding on the plethora of mosquitos generated from the pond.

I was giving a lecture on why the boxes needed to be paired and only two locations in this size park. I warned that House Sparrow control would be severe due to the close proximity of people, houses and free food. Then I stopped midsentence when I noticed a pair of small, bright blue birds fly into shrubbery near a stinky dumpster. Too small forBlue Jays, but surely couldn’t beEastern Bluebirds, I said to my audience. But, then I saw them again and had to take a closer look.

Parking lot, dumpster, lots of people traffic. Last place I would expect to see the Eastern Bluebird.

Voilà! There was a flock – perhaps a family – of about 5 bluebirds near the dumpster. When I remarked that bluebirds don’t eat people food, one of the parks people astutely stated that they were probably eating the insects generated by the garbage in the dumpster.

We then proceeded to inspect the nestboxes. Low and behold, there was a perfect bluebird nest in the second box we looked at. In a location that I had little hope for, the bluebirds had found it perfectly accommodating.

Friends of Rye Town Park members, Linda Wells and Ann Moller, discover this perfect bluebird nest in this box by the duck pond. Their environmental project was a big success!

 All this bodes well for the average lower Westchesterite. The bluebirds are coming. Their numbers are increasing, and it will be more common to get to see them.

The bluebird nesting season ended in August and we can now analzye our data. Since our BRSS Eastern Bluebird Project began 13 years ago, we inched up from having no nesting pairs in our area to 32 last year. This year we had a quantum leap to 62 nesting pairs!

While we increased our number of nestboxes by 25% to 204 and also increased our number of locations by 25% to 51, our number of nesting pairs increased 50%. Last year we fledged about 130 bluebirds, this year the final number will be over 260.

Always great to witness our success - two Eastern Bluebird fledglings

We banded most of our bluebird nestlings and as many adult bluebirds as we could capture. The final tally was 244 nestlings and 46 adults banded (17 adult males and 29 adult females). Next year will be most interesting if we identify any of these banded birds in our nestboxes. We can then answer many questions we get such as: do the bluebird stay paired for life and do they return to the same nestbox?

We are using our banding data to do a scientific study comparing the long-term survival of bluebirds that nest on golf courses versus the bluebirds that nest elsewhere. While golf courses use a lot of chemicals, they seem to be one of our best locations for attracting and increasing the bluebird population. Time will tell how well these golf course bluebirds fare, compared to those nesting in environments that use fewer chemicals. We are striving to band about an equal number of golf course and non-golf course bluebirds. This year we banded 139 bluebirds on golf courses and 155 on non-golf locations.

Monitor, Joan Heilman, checks on nesting bluebirds at Saxon Woods Golf Course where we've had as many as 5 nesting pairs of bluebirds.

We did have some challenges along the trail. Abandonded eggs – we never know why. And missing eggs – we suppect a predator. We are hoping to get a grant that will allow us to equip our nestboxes with predator guards. Meanwhile, one of our monitors, Tolly Beck who monitors at Lasdon Park & Arboretum, came up with an excellent guard that allowed successful nesting for several bluebird pairs that had previously had their eggs raided by snakes (we suppect) and it was FREE!

Tolly Beck invented a "free" and very effective predator guard - pyracantha branches

 

And we did have some chuckles along the trail. Monitor, Orlando Hidalgo, and I were banding at SUNY Purchase College when we looked up to see two policemen staring at us. Fearing we would get tickets for illegally parking, we were relieved when they just wanted to know what we were doing. We gave them the full story of the bluebird’s recovery from being endangered and how we were helping. Happily, no tickets!

 

Luckily the police were just curious about our "unusual" activity.

All this success could not be possible without the 28 volunteer monitors that faithfully check their bluebird trails weekly. We had a party to celebrate at my house in August.

Thanks to all the bluebird monitors - pictured and unable to attend our celebration party.

We are having a fantastic year. We now have 58 nesting pairs of bluebirds – almost double of our all-time high of last year of 32 pairs. While certainly some of this is due to more nestboxes, I calculated that if we had added no new boxes this year, we would be up to 40 nesting pairs. A hugh jump in percentage.

We now have 203 nestboxes we are monitoring in 50 locations. We have bluebirds nesting in 30 of these locations! That’s 60% occupancy by bluebirds. We are doing lots of things right! 

We have greatly reduced the house sparrow problems, due to constant monitoring and replacing traditional boxes with Gilbertson boxes in locations with big HS problems.

Bluebirds have accepted the Gilbertsons nestboxes

 We have reduced the number of tree swallows by removing boxes (too many make too many tree swallows) and also pairing boxes. While pairing of boxes was recommended in the bluebird literature, I found little success with this in the first 10 years of our project. However, this year with have at least 5 locations where this has worked. In fact, in at least two locations, I removed boxes 50 yards apart (since a second BB would not nest that close to another box anyway), moved them 10 yards apart, and was rewarded with the bluebird moving in to share the site with a tree swallow family.

Bluebirds and Tree Swallows are nesting at same time in these boxes!

Bluebirds and Tree Swallows are nesting side by side at this location in Tarrytown

We have also reduced the number of house wrens (which are known to remove BB eggs and baby nestlings) by careful placement of our nestboxes  away from woodland edges. The lawn mower guys are not always happy with this, but it is really necessary for the best results.

I just banded my 199^th bluebird and have at least 12 active nests to go. I have to ask my Master Permit lady for more bands, as I got only 300 and we should go over that.

The banding has been great fun to see the bluebirds up close and personal. We have involved lots of kids and adults in this and it’s been a great educational tool.

Ethan is monitoring the nestboxes at Lyndhurst. He is learning how to age the nestlings.

Junior naturalists in the making

Bluebirds have truly brought lots of happiness this year!

 

 

 

 

 

Was at Saxon Woods Golf Course today with Joan Heilman - between rain drops. We banded the nestlings in box #2, which were about 13 days old. It was the first time I could confirm the sex of a nestling. This is definitely a male:

Male bluebird nestling about 13 days old

 

 

 

Think this is a female nestling. Protruding feathers duller gray.

Joan and I checked on the third nesting pair of bluebirds at Saxon Woods. Mom flew from the nestbox when I approach. Happy she is keeping the eggs warm in this dreary weather.

 

Joan had to return the cart as the course was closed and the staff was leaving. I continued on foot to check on the babies we had banded last week in Box #9. I peeked in the box, very carefully, knowing that the birds were almost ready to fledge. I was surprised to see only 1 nestling in the box. Hummm. Mom and Dad were around scolding me – or as it turns out, maybe encouraging the last chick to leave the nest. I stayed to look for the new fledglings and was thrilled to spot one on a branch near me. It let me get quite close. I think it most likely had just made it maiden voyage from the nestbox and didn’t want to fly further.

Bluebird fledgling - just after leaving the nestbox.

As I drove home in the pouring rain – which has continued as I type this, I can only hope that our fledglings that gave up their nice, dry nestbox will manage to survive this monsoon.

 

Another treat I had was from a pair of Killdeer, nesting on barren ground near the nestbox. Joan and I had found two eggs on open ground, disguised magnificiently to look like the rest of the ground. Today I carefully looked for them again, and while the parents were making a fuss and trying to lead me away from the nest with their fake injuryed wing display, I found that 2 more eggs had been added.

 

Killdeer eggs

I made a video of the parents putting on their injury display to lead me away from the nest.

 

Get the YouTube video here

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xV9gA1zujok

 

 

The BRSS Youth Birding Club met at Kensico Cemetery on Sat., May 14 to see the nesting Eastern Bluebirds and learn about bird banding. During our visit, they helped with banding a female Eastern Bluebird by recording the data collected in the banding log book. What gets recorded is band number, species type, age, sex, weight, wing chord and tarsus (lenth of foot). We used a cell phone and the Google Earth app to get the precise location (latitude and longitude).

BRSS Youth Birding Club member is the "scribe" for this female bluebird that was banded at Kensico Cemetery.

Click on this link to see great pictures taken of the event by Nadia Valla.

  http://www.acdseeonline.com/share-view/Nadia+Valla/ktdA8yRfptUIvNM0f9J5/

Girl Scouts record nestling data.

Ginger Colin’s Girl Scout troop built and placed 2 nestboxes at Tilly Foster Farm. One of their nestboxes was one of the first on the BRSS bluebird trail to get bluebird babies. The girls met with me on Thursday and they also acted as the “scribe” and recorded the data gathered on the babies. Click on this link to see pictures (taken by Ginger Colin) of the Tilly Foster bluebirds getting banded:

http://gallery.me.com/gconlin#100675

Thanks to all you monitors who are keeping track of our 200 nestboxes in 45 locations.

We are having a fantastic year.

When Nadia Valla reported her first nesting pair at Apawamis a couple days ago, that made 29 nesting pairs. Now we have another report of a nesting pair up county nesting at a private home of a Girl Scout leader (shall we all move north?). That makes 30 confirmed pairs in 14 locations. Last year we had 32 pairs total, so we should easily break that record.

Very first bluebird nestling banded in our BRSS Eastern Bluebird Project

I banded my first bluebirds since getting my banding license this year. The very first were nestlings at Outhouse Orchard in N. Salem. I banded the 4 nestlings and managed to catch the mother in the nestbox and banded her.

On Monday I banded my second batch of nestlings at Lasdon Arboretum. I was assisted by an angel who came into my life – Tolly Beck. She works at Lasdon and happened to show up when I was setting up the boxes and asked what I was doing. She then volunteered to monitor them. Since Lasdon is an hour’s drive from me, this is a God-send. Lasdon is perfect bluebird habitat and quickly the 3 nestboxes we placed on the great lawn were each occupied by a nesting bluebird pair.

Girl Scouts built and monitor nestboxes at Tilly Foster Farm – another location far from home. Two troops each have two houses there in different locations, and both have a nesting bluebird pair. Ginger Colin’s troop’s birds hatched and will be banded this week. Barb Londa’s box had 5 beautiful eggs, but regretfully something got to them (suspect house wren). I will move this box further out in the field and hope improve chances of success.

Sunningdale Golf Club is most prolific with 5 nesting pairs! For those of you who are fighting off house sparrows, please remember that when I started with this course, at one point it had 7 out of 8 boxes with House Sparrows. I faithfully walked the course each Monday for several years and now we have no HS (knock on wood) and all these beautiful blue eggs.

Kensico was the star last year with 5 nesting pairs and it is getting revived up, with 3 pairs now. We are bringing the Youth Birding Club there on Sat., May 14. We are hoping to have bluebird babies to show them, but it will be close.

 Clare Gorman and Jeff Zuckerman are beside themselves with joy of having 4 bluebird pairs to watch – 2 at Lake Isle and 2 at Bonnie Briar. Lake Isle is Jeff’s home golf course and it took about 5 years for him to get bluebirds on his home course. Talk about scoring birdies!

Orlando just reported discovering bluebirds nesting in a Gilbertson box at SUNY Purchase that was placed just 2 weeks ago. Last year we had to remove a box in this productive location because the House Sparrow had discovered it and took over, killing it occupants. It’s great to know the bluebirds are accepting the Gilbertson nestboxes. I will definitely be ordering more of these. They seem to work like a charm.

Orlando also has bluebirds at Manhattanville College and these just hatched. This pair is also in a Gilbertson box just outside a residence on the campus. I actually met the person living in the house when I made my visit

Joan Heilman helped with banding the nestlings at Saxon Woods Golf Course

this spring, but I could not get him interested in the marvelous fact that he had the New York State Bird in his yard.

Saxon Woods is continuing to be a super star location. Joan Heilman, a non-golfer, risks life and limb traversing the golf course (has a scar from being hit with a golf ball, but still goes back!). She just reported the 3^rd nesting pair there and on Tuesday we banded the first batch of nestlings and caught the adult male

Bonnie Gould helps me monitor Scarsdale Golf Club (which has 2 nestings pairs) and has volunteered to help me monitor Old Oaks. This course had 12 nestboxes in place for many years, but no one monitored them. Consequently, most of them have house sparrows. She was there recently and threw out 7 HS nests. We both have seen the bluebird flying around there checking out houses, but none can nest yet. Hopefully, Old Oaks will follow the same path that Sunningdale did, and eventually the HS will give up – and there won’t be babies to propagate the race.

Thanks to all the monitors (there are about 25 of you), who contribute so much to our Eastern Bluebird Project. Keep hopeful that the bluebirds will one day arrive – if not already there.

We now have 12 confirmed nesting bluebird pairs with eggs. Two locations have two pairs – Lake Isle Country Club and Saxon Woods Golf Course.

Out first known babies were discovered on April 28 in N. Salem. They will be the first to be banded – hopefully May 2 if all goes well.

Sparrow Spooker experiment

Clare Goreman and Jeff Zuckerman were thrilled to discover bluebird eggs in one of their nestboxes on Lake Isle Country Club. It has taken several years to have this success. Today they reported a second nest with bluebird eggs. Last week they witnessed a house sparrow take control of a box where a bluebird pair had built a nest. We decided to try a “sparrow spooker” for the first time. This is recommended in several bluebird books as a good way to keep sparrows away from an established nest. See picture to see what a sparrow spooker looks like, but basically it is strips of mylar hanging over the roof. House sparrows are not supposed to like it, but bluebirds will tolerate it, especially if they have laid eggs. In this case, the bluebird had not laid eggs yet, but we could see that the HS was in full control. This is an experiment to see if the HS will abandon the nestbox.

We’ve had good luck with the Gilbertson nestboxes. Last year we had 3 bluebird pairs use them. This year we have eggs in two and a third nest looks promising.

Our bluebirds have adapted to the Gilbertson style nestbox.

Bluebird with leg band spotted at Kensico Cemetery.

Female incubating 5 eggs at Tilly Foster Farm

I have been traveling all over Westchester County and into Putnam, checking to be sure all our nestboxes are in good shape and if we have any activity yet.

Very happy to say we have a lot happening.

The Girl Scout troop at Tilly Foster Farm is monitoring the nestbox wsith 5 eggs. This pair is our earliest nesters, that I know of.

Since learning about these eggs, we now have many bluebird sightings and nests reports with either bluebird nests or bluebirds nests with some eggs.

Tilly Foster Farm, Outhouse Orchards and Saxon Woods Golf Course have nests with eggs.

 The following have bluebird nests but no eggs yet (at least we hope they are bluebirds and not tree swallows): Kensico Cemetery, Manhattanville College, Hampshire Golf Course, Scarsdale Golf Club, Sunningdale Golf Course, Carmarda Park, and Pequenakonch Elementary School.

The monitors or I have spotted bluebirds (but not nest yet) at Ferncliff Cemetery, Mount Calvary Cemetery and Leewood Country Club.

So the happiness is spread around and growing.

Exciting new is I spotted a male bluebird at Kensico Cemetery with a leg band. We had a PhD student last summer banding our bluebirds at Kensico and it is most likely one that returned there. If it manages to nest and I succeed in captureing it, we will learn the full story. I will contact the Banding Lab and they will look up the number and tell me who banded it, where and when. I always suspect our bluebirds return to nest in the same nestbox. This will confirm this.

I officially have both my Federal and NY State license to band, so it should be a very exciting summer.

Just walked my bluebird trail on Sunningdale Golf Course. It was 8:20 p.m. when I opened one box and discovered a Hairy Woodpecker roosting for the night. It did not leave the box. I have discovered Downy Woodpeckers roosting in my bluebird nestboxes during winter, but never in April when the temps are in the 50s.

BRSS Audubon has set up this blog to share our adventures along our bluebird trail in Westchester County and lower Putnam County.

Our trail has over 175 nestboxes in good bluebird habitat like golf courses, cemeteries, passive parks, schools, colleges and instutional properties.

Our trail monitors can post their experiences as well as photos.

The pulbic can follow the joy and sometimes heartbreak along our bluebird trail. The nesting season is here!

The first eggs laid were reported by Ginger Colin’s Girl Scout troop from Mahopac. The nesting bluebirds are at Tilly Foster Farm in Brewster.

Let the Bluebirds of Happiness begin!