First Eggs and Nests of 2017

NATURE CENTER SIDE

The North side boxes were numbered and some moved to new locations along the maintenance road. The very last three boxes had nothing. The rest have either swallow nests started or in one case a grass nest by bluebirds. No eggs in it yet.

SOUTH SIDE

The south side was burned by the staff and looked barren a month ago. Some plant life is returning. The birds are fine with it. Swallows only catch flying insects.

Bluebirds like some trees like this around for roosting and waiting to find pray on the ground. One pair has selected this black box that is on a rather tall pole:

It had the full five eggs. I believe this is the male of that pair on a locust tree branch:

One more pair of bluebirds seems to have a nest in that middle part. No eggs in it.

SWALLOWS

Near the Western end of the new gravel road there is a fluff clutch of swallow eggs. No bird was incubating on it. They may wait a week or two and the eggs may survive.

Another pair had built a full nest that had been taken over by ants. They were angry at me for taking it apart and destroying the ants.

I ended up putting reversed duct tape on the pole, as well as the neighboring pole.

Lastly, a nest box had been driven over by workers with a tractor. It had a grass and feathers swallow nest in it but luckily no eggs.

Signs of Nest Box Selecting

I met someone that asked about the bluebird boxes today, and she shared some experiences. Usually the conversation starts with "bluebirds, aren't those nasty?" No, those are Blue Jays! Then I explain that these are small thrushes and have blue and orange. Then the person responds, "oh, I've never seen one," We try to look for them but see only swallows.

I only went through the North side 18 boxes today. pairs of tree swallows are flying around the boxes and some pairs seem to have chosen a box and are defending it.

This is box 9 in the middle of the prairie. The swallows do not lay eggs till May, but may build the nest this month. In any case they guard it against other swallows.

One pair of bluebirds has claimed a box near the school house on the top of our prairie. The trees of the golf course fence are nearby. Of the two boxes, they chose the more worn out one, 13. The new looking box 14 behind it may take a year to have appeal. It is also unncessarily large. I hope they stay.

 We only had little success on the North side with bluebirds last year. The two boxes nearest the Nature Center, 1 and 2, are claimed by house sparrows.