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?