Citizen Science

The intense attention to nature that came about from Apps and websites that let you record various things has brought science of sorts even to back yard birders. You can monitor nests. The nest activity can be reported in eBird during regular eBird lists. These are bird lists by your location. If you really want to spend some time with it, you can join Nest Watch. It is free.

The address is:
https://nestwatch.org/

I  did it for one season with a single bluebird nest and a single tree swallow nest. It was too much work for 32 boxes that are 12 miles away from me! If they are in your yard, it is much easier. Plus, I got the same information they want with less work. I know how many eggs were laid and how many bluebirds fledged. If you have bluebirds, look up Bluebirds Across Nebraska to report your results. Only the number of nests and the number fledged is needed.

I do collect data on my boxes, and I have a summary of four seasons.

The birds seem to come up with the same number of success each year. 2018 was a good year, but I think there was at least one failed nest. Some years the expected total appeared after a few failed attempts, so the nesting went to August. I put in a wren guard on one box for the first time, and that pair will raise just one chick.

In 2016 I reported some 60 tree swallows fledged. In 2019 there were swallow nests in 11 boxes, so about the same, 60-65 nestlings fledged. Swallows will delay laying eggs if temperatures are low in May. They only catch flying insects. Bluebirds need caterpillars to feed to the young:

The low number of BB nests in 2017 and some movement of the trail in the North prairie inspired me to move some boxes. So the table really does not follow the same boxes for four years. On the North side 5 boxes were moved to the tree line. I get more bluebirds this way, but also more house wrens interfering with the bluebirds. The bluebirds in a good year can be done in June and the wrens do not nest til June and July. They could share. But they do not and the male house wren will go and destroy nests long before the wrens are ready to lay eggs.

Box 13 (see previous post)

One bird remains (Aug 4 photo) and the bird is ready to fly:

On August 9th I checked the box. Just a grass nest left. There was no sign of the extra blue egg:

The nest is clean. I had one other such a clean nest where 4 eggs had been. In 10 days the eggs did not have time to hatch and turn to full grown chicks, so I marked those 4 eggs as lost.