Baby Birds Are Surprisingly Difficult to Enumerate -- Western Bluebird Nestbox Monitoring - May21st, 2017

Sunday 2017-05-21 (10-12pm): My friend Mary Ellen joined us today, and the baby birds were all present ... but not as well account for as I would like (they were still so hard to see well enough to count!). We brought a flashlight this time, which helped some, but it was still incredibly difficult to see well enough to count the chicks. And, many of my pictures are still being fuzzy. So, now I think we need a bigger mirror ... and I need to figure out how to keep my camera on the macro setting. We have resolved to do better data collection!


Box #1: Unchanged, all stick nest, no eggs.
Box #2: Empty, but there was some straw added this past week.

Box #2.

Box #3: Still an empty nest of straw and feathers.

Box #3.

Box #4: All 3 Western Bluebird hatchlings are all still developing.

Box #4.

 

Box #4.

Box #4. Three Western Bluebird nestlings. I think I see three yellow mouths.

Box #5: Empty.

Box #6: The Tree swallow nestlings in this box are starting to get pin feathers. We thought we counted 4, but it was very difficult to see ... When I checked last week's data, 5 is the number expected. They look so very similar to the Western Bluebird nestlings, but there might be some differences -- I think the gape on the Tree Swallow is larger in proportion to the rest of the head(?).

Box #6.

Box #6, Tree Swallow parent back in the box after we left.

Box #7: There are 5 Tree Swallow eggs, as expected. As had happened before, this parent remained on the nest even after we tapped on the box ... but did leave a few seconds after we opened the door fully. We watched afterwards to see the parents returning to the box. I am guessing that this pair got a later start, due to relocating from Box #3.

Box #7 with Tree Swallow parent on top.

Box #7. Using the flashlight and mirror to try to see the nest contents.

Box #8: Another big ball of Tree Swallow nestlings, and still so difficult to see and count! There were at least 4 (look for the yellow mouth and pointy beak), but there could be more ...

Box #8. Tree swallow nestlings.

Box #9: There was a nestling peaking out of the box as we approached: the shape and color of the mouth is still different from the adult. We were very, very careful when checking this nest, covering up the entrance and blocking the door as it was slowly opened. From the pictures, there are 3 nestlings, and one seems a bit more developed than the others. But, there may be a 4th nestling (which is expected) under the pile in the corner (see the tail sticking up?). The blue of their feathers was spectacular. We did not see any fledglings out of the box in the immediate area.

Box #9. A Western Bluebird nestling peaking out.

Box #9.

Box #9. Western bluebirds ... nearly ready to fledge. But are there 3 or 4?

Hatchlings Galore -- Western Bluebird Nestbox Monitoring - May 13th, 2017

Saturday 2017-05-13 (4-6pm): I got to see my first hatchlings today! They were surprisingly very difficult to see in the nest! I thought I had a flashlight in my daypack, but couldn't find it ... I will have to make sure I have one next week. But, we were (mostly) able to count the chicks from our pictures.

Box #1: Unchanged, all stick nest, no eggs.
Box #2: Empty.
Box #3: I was surprised that this nest still does not have eggs. I think maybe the Tree Swallow pair moved from here to Box #7.
Box #4: Oh my gosh, there are three tiny, tiny pink bundles. I think they may have even hatched just today. The Western Bluebird parents were seen very close by, as well as entering the box. Predicted fledge date maybe June 1?

Box #4 ... You'd never guess what's inside.

Box #4. Western Bluebird hatchlings, probably 0-1 days old.

 

 Box #5: Empty.
Box #6: A Tree Swallow adult remained on the nest even after the box was opened. We closed the box and retreated, and the bird then exited the box after about 30 seconds. We then re-checked the box and there were broken eggs shells, plus 5 very new hatchlings! Predicted fledge data maybe June 1? The Salmon Creek Tree Swallow Project has a great website with lots of good information on Tree Swallow nestlings.

Box #6. Protective parent Tree Swallow.

Box #6. I think there are 5 chicks, 0-1 days old.

Box #6. Feed me!

Box #7: Again, a Tree Swallow adult remained on the nest even after the box was opened. But, the bird flew out after about half a minute. There were 5 white eggs.

Box #7. Tree swallow nest.

Box #8: It was very difficult to see, especially with all of the feathers. My Dad very carefully pulled some of the feathers to the side, to find 4 hatchlings and what looks like 1 still-intact egg. Tree Swallows were seen returning the box after we retreated.

Box #8. Difficult to see .. maybe 4 hatchlings, 0-1 days old.

Box #9: It was incredibly difficult to see -- the inside of the nest just looked like a mass of grey feathers ... of 4 or 5 nestlings. From the pictures, there are lots of new feathers coming in, from which I'd estimate age at about 11 days? My revised earliest fledge date prediction is now 5/19. The Bluebird pair were seen bringing food to the box many times (they are still going inside the box to feed). "From Egg To Emtpy Nest" is a good photo montage showing the chick development after hatching.

Box #9. Nestlings are not readily apparent ... until you look closely with a light.

Box #9. Lots of new feathers on these chicks ... just a tight ball of grey feathers in the nest.

Box #10: Still the same half-finished nest, with no eggs.

"Oh no, the nest's filled with water?! ... oh wait??! It's baby birds!!!" -- Western Bluebird Nestbox Monitoring - May 5th, 2017

Friday 2017-05-05 (11am-noon): Oh my gosh ... "our" first baby birds. We had a busy weekend coming up, so my folks checked the nestboxes a bit early this week. I'm so bummed that I didn't get to see the big reveal of the first nestlings!!:

Box #1: An all-stick nest has been started in this box, which I think could be a Wren?

Some new nest-building activity has occurred at Box #1.

Box #2: Once again the box is empty, a small Vespid nest was removed, and lye soap re-applied to the box's upper interior.

Box #3: I'm surprised that this box still does not have any Tree Swallow eggs. My Dad moved the nestbox a few inches further up the pole.

The nest in Box #3 is still empty.

Box #4: A female Bluebird was sitting on the nest when the box was opened! So, no egg count was done this week. The area around Boxes 4 thru 6 had been recently mown.

Box #4.

Box #5. Remains empty.

Box #6. Once again, there was a bird sitting on the nest when the box was opened. And, we're learning that this can be difficult to realize this at first, because the box interior is so dark and the bird is low in the nest! From the quick pictures, it looks to have been a Tree Swallow, as expected from the 5 white eggs that were seen in this nest last week. No egg count was conducted this week. Unfortunately, there may have been a predation event at this box?: There were many white feathers on the ground immediately in front of the box.

Box #6: A Tree Swallow actually remained on the nest during the check of the box!

Box #6: Another close-up of the Tree Swallow on its nest.

Box #7: A nest has finally been started in this box, and the Tree Swallows were rather aggressive around this nestbox. This brings the site up to six out of ten boxes occupied.

Box #8.

Box #8: Five eggs now!

Box #8: A Tree Swallow was seen leaving the box as we approached. One more egg has been added since last week, for a total now of 5. The area around this box was recently mown, and it is no longer swampy ground.













Box #9: When my Dad opened the box, he apparently said, ""Oh no, the nest's filled with water?! ... oh wait!??? It's baby birds!!!" There were four Bluebird hatchlings, all crammed together. They are all mouth! We think there's four heads in the picture:

Box #9 ... it's almost unbelievable what's inside ...:

Box #9. "Our" first hatchlings, Western Bluebirds.

I'm guessing the hatchlings in Box #9 might be about 3, or maybe 4, days old ... which means my "earliest hatch date prediction" of about 5/1 was pretty good! So, the earliest they might fledge is 5/19 ...

Box #10: Remains unchanged, with no eggs.

50% Occupancy! -- Western Bluebird Nestbox Monitoring - April 30th, 2017

Sunday 2017-04-30 (10:15-noon): 50% occupancy, and even more real Easter eggs in "our" nestboxes!!! We very much enjoyed meeting up with Jeff Bonneville today.

Box #1: Still empty. Brushed out some Vespids and re-applied lye soap to the box's upper interior parts.

Box #2: Still empty. Brushed out some Vespids and re-applied lye soap.

Box #3: There's still a Tree Swallow nest, with Tree swallows coming and going, but no eggs yet. A small Vespid nest was removed and lye soap re-applied.

Box #4: Two more Bluebird eggs have been added since last week, making for a total now of 3 eggs! My prediction is that earliest hatch date will be 5/16. The parents remained very close by as we checked the nestbox.

Box #4. Western Bluebird eggs. Isn't that just the perfect little Easter egg nest?

Box #5: Empty, Vespids removed, lye applied.

Box #6: A Tree Swallow peeked out of the box and watched our approach -- leaving only when we got very close. And wow, there are 5 Tree Swallow eggs now! My prediction for the earliest hatch date is 5/15.

Box #6. Tree Swallow eggs. So pretty with all the feathers.

 

Box #7.  Empty, Vespids removed, lye applied.

Box #8.  After opening the box, we realized a Tree Swallow remained sitting on the nest!! Jeff said this was very unusual behavior for this species. So, we closed the box and retreated. The mate immediately entered the box, and then after a minute or so, both birds successively left the box. Upon re-checking the nest, there are now 4 eggs (just 1 more than last week). Given the parent's nest fidelity and the fact that only one egg has been added since last week, my prediction is that the eggs are now being incubated -- with an earliest hatch date of 5/14.

Box #9: There are still only 4 Bluebird eggs, so they must be finished laying and now incubating. The Bluebird parents were seen nearby. I'm predicting that the eggs in this nestbox will be the first to hatch, possibly as early as 5/1.

Box #10: The nest that had been started is still unchanged ... and there are still no eggs. Both Tree Swallows and Bluebirds were seen around the box though.