We had a perfect day for the first in our Summer Learning Series at Audubon. Terry LeBaron led a Nest Box walk to kick off the summer courses and I tagged along adding my two-cents now and again.
Terry, Pam, Amy
Pam checks residents of a Wren box
The only current residents of the boxes now are House Wrens and mice.
House Wren Eggs
House Wren Babies
Amy discovers that day-old babies are so ugly they’re cute.
Baby House Wren
And… the mice:
This photo was taken by Katie Finch, staff naturalist, last week during Day Camp. Her picture turned out so much better than mine!
Earlier in the week a box of Tree Swallows fledged and almost immediately House Wrens began building on top of the abandoned nest. Whether this is a dummy nest or the real thing remains to be seen.
Participants in the class were especially excited to take a peek in our parking lot Kestrel box.
Peeking into a Kestrel Box
According to Terry’s records, these Kestrel eggs should be very near hatching. The plan is to video record when Emily is banding them… If you happen to be there that day, you can be an “extra” in the film!
Wow there are EIGHT eggs in that nest ! And the mice are cute too. I was suprised that the bird and mouse would share the same quarters.
In checking boxes do the parent birds fly out of the checked nest and then just return ? How often do you check the nests ?
These pictures are amazing. Wish I could tag along.
Sybil
Eastern Passage, NS
Sometimes we kick the mice out to leave the box for the birds. But if a mom has babies in there, we like to show them to the kids, too, so sometimes we leave them till they’re done and out.
Moms do fly away usually. And, yes, they always come back.
You may have a nature center nearby, or people who monitor boxes. Askt them if you can tag along some time!
What a fascinating day!! I would love to be able to participate in something like this one day. It would bring me such joy! ~karen