Under my deck, near bluebird box Arkansaw # 2.7, I have been observing a nest of American Robin eggs. There are four warm, blue eggs resting in the nest.

Arkansaw Box #2.7- Empty

21 Bluebird Eggs and 3 Chicks

Here's what's happening:

Box 1:  down
Box 2:  5 bluebird eggs
Box 3:  4 bluebird eggs
Box 4:  2 bluebird eggs, 3 chicks
Box 5:  down
Box 6:  empty

Kings Hwy Peterson 1:  5 bluebird eggs
Kings Hwy Peterson 2:  5 bluebird eggs

New Box Location is a Winner!

I drove by the new bluebird box location in Maxville this afternoon to take a photo.  I also got a surprise:  a hen bluebird sitting on the box.

I'll take that as confirmation that we picked an appealing location!

New Box in Arkansaw

Maxville Alternative HS students installed a new bluebird box on US 10 in Arkansaw today.

Box #7  Arkansaw Trail #2

N    44º 38.411'
W 091º 03.978

elevation:  954 ft.

New Box in Maxville

Maxville Alternative HS students installed a new box at S 27 County Rd AA today.

Box #4  Maxville Trail #3

N    44º 35.534'
W 091º 59.218'

Elevation:  927 ft

Hatchlings in Maxville

I went over to Maxville today, to help the Alternative HS students install bluebird boxes.  Along the way, I stopped and took a look at the 5 eggs in the box #4.  The female flew out of the box before I could put my stealth Prius in "park."

Here's what I saw in the box:

Three newly hatched chicks and 2 eggs!

Still Waiting

Nest Box #1 Bluebird Nest, no eggs
Nest Box #2 No Nest

20 Bluebird Eggs in Tarrant Park

Another day - and 2 more Bluebird Eggs:

Box 1: house sparrow nest/ 3 eggs removed - Tree Swallows watching from the wire above

Box 2: 1 bluebird egg

Box 3: 5 Bluebird Eggs

Box 4: down

Box 5: 4 Bluebird Eggs

Box 6: 5 Bluebird Eggs

Box 7: down

Box 8: 5 Bluebird Eggs

Maxville Bluebird Eggs

Here's what Maxville Alternative School students saw in their box this morning:

     M.1.1   nest, three warm eggs

     M.1.2   bird and looked like two or three eggs--
                 bird stayed in there while the boys observed!!
                 Here's the video:

18 Eggs in Tarrant Park

In one week we've gone from 10 eggs to 18 eggs!

Box #1 2 House Sparrow Eggs
Box #2 empty
Box #3 A nest with 4 eggs (blue)
Box #4 Empty
Box #5 4 eggs (blue)
Box #6 5 eggs (blue)
Box #7 empty
Box #8 5 eggs (blue)

TP

4 Eggs on SR 25 and K

I checked the 4 Baudry boxes today, curious to see how wet they might be (with the wood tent over the hole). Her's what we found:

Box 1 empty and wet

Box 2 empty and wet

Box 3 female sitting on 4 eggs - dry

Box 4 empty and wet.

3 eggs at Eau Galle

I checked the 3 boxes at Eau Galle on a rainy Saturday. Only the BRAW-built box was dry. The other two had slots at the top which allowed the rain to get inside the boxes.

Here's what we found:

Box #1: empty

Box #2: Tree Swallow Nest (lots of feathers) with 2 house sparrow eggs

Box #3: 3 bluebird eggs and an adult sitting on them. one white feather

One Active Nest in Arkansaw

Something strange has happened on the Arkansaw bluebird trail.  All but one box is empty - many are missing nails (some replaced with paper clips) and screws (used to pull the nest box door open).  I replaced all the missing nails and screws.  It is interesting to note that the one box with eggs is in a location that is not easily spotted - in an out-of-the-way location.

Box #1  -  empty

Box #2  - empty

Box #3 - empty

Box #4 - empty

Box #5  - 5 bluebird eggs - adult sitting on them

Box #6 - empty

Box #10 - empty

A Nest in Pepin

Box #1 has a beautifully formed bluebird nest - I can just "feel" that eggs will appear soon.

Box #2 is still bare.

PW

Box #2 Knocked Down

I was driving through Durand today and took a detour through Tarrant Park to check the bluebird boxes.  I had two surprises - one humorous, the other not so much.  I had to chuckle when I noticed a motorcycle and car parked down and out of the way - over by box #8.  An odd place to park at noon-ish.  Not so surprising when two heads popped up in the back seat of the car...

I just went about my business checking the bluebird box.  Box #2 provided a surprise of a different nature:  It looked as though the box had been smacked off the pole and left on the ground. 

I fixed the box and put it back up on the pole.

Here's the rest of the report:

Box 1:  House sparrow nest and egg

Box 2:  Bluebird Nest no eggs

Box 3:  Bluebird nest, 2 eggs

Box 4:   no activity

Box 5:  4 Bluebird eggs

Box 6:  5 bluebird eggs

Box 7:  beginning of a nest, adult male bluebird nearby

Box 8:  5 bluebird eggs

2 Bluebird Eggs

Students at Maxville Alternative School checked the 2 boxes at noon today:

Nest Box M.1.1: nest no eggs

Nest Box M.1.2: 2 bluebird eggs. We held the eggs and they were warm!!

Warm and Sunny Sunday in the Park

Tarrant Park Bluebird Boxes:

Box #1 House Sparrow Nest

Box #2 Bluebird Nest, No eggs

Box #3 empty

Box #4 Empty

Box #5: Nest 2 bluebird eggs

Box #6: 5 bluebird eggs

Box #7: nest no eggs

Box #8: 4 bluebird eggs

School Bus Parking Lot:

Box #1: House Sparrow Nest

Box #2: bluebird nest

Box #3: house sparrow nest

Box #4: bluebird nest

Peterson Box: empty

No Birds - yet

Box #1: empty

Box #2: empty

4 Baudry Boxes (with wood tent tops)

I checked all 4 boxes today - 2 on CR K, 2 on SR 25.

Box 1 - no nest

Box 2 - no nest

Box 3 - blue bird nest, 2 eggs, bluebird pair sitting on the pivot irrigation nearby.

Box 4 - Tree Swallows on the wire overhead.  One feather in the box - no nest yet.

Nest Box Wars in Tarrant Park

We spent a couple of hours watching the battle of the nest boxes.  The House Sparrows were battling the Tree Swallows in the School Bus Parking Lot.  Sparrows have taken over 2 of the 4 boxes.  I've evicted them from two of the 8 boxes in the Park too.  Here's today's data:

Box #1:  House Sparrows in the box.  Evicted them.  Noticed a pair of Bluebirds nesting in the White Oak.

Box #2:  Bluebird Nest, no eggs.

Box #3:  Bluebird nest, no eggs.  Tree Swallow on the wire above the nest.

Box #4:  Empty

Box #5:  Male Bluebird on Box; nest and 1 egg

Box #6:  5 Bluebird Eggs

Box #7:  Major battle between 2 pairs of tree swallows and a pair of bluebirds for this box.

Box #8:  4 eggs

Bus Parking Lot:

Box #1:  House Sparrows and Tree Swallows fighting

Box #2:  Bluebird nest and nest building

Box #3:  House sparrows and tree swallows fighting

Box #4:  Bluebird Nest - bluebirds and tree swallows fighting.

Tree Swallows in the Peterson box on the telephone pole.

Chipping Sparrows and Wild Turkeys

Checking this trail is always interesting.  Today's surprise was a wild turkey.

Box 1:  not up 

Box 2:  Nest, no eggs

Box 3:  4 eggs

Box 4:  5 eggs

Box 5:  not up

Box 6:  empty

Peterson Style Nest Box:  Bluebird Nest and bird hanging out near it

Nests But No Bluebirds

Lots of Chipping Sparrows singing away here on the prairie.

Box #1:  Bluebird nest, no eggs.

Box #2:  Bluebird nest, no eggs

Bluebird Window Collisions at Eau Galle Cheese

The Eau Galle Cheese Factory was busy when I checked the bluebird boxes today.  When I pulled into the parking lot, I noticed a male bluebird "attacking" the store window.  So I went inside to find out when that started.  That's when I discovered it's ice cream cone time.  Not that I need additional motivation to monitor the boxes there...

See the bird droppings on the window sill?  The male bluebird notices his reflection in the window and can't resist stopping to let the "other bluebird" know this is his territory and he'll defend it.  Problem is, birds don't realize the reflection isn't real.  It may be humorous at first, but the shop employees say, the male's been at it all week.

What to do?  Simply "soap" the outside of the window so it breaks up the reflection.  Another solution is to install a screen on the outside of the window.  Or, just tape paper over the reflection.  Take a look at this non-reflective window treatment:  CollidEscape.  And no, those falcon silhouettes and other window stickers do NOT work.  

Here's what's going on in the Eau Galle bluebird boxes:

Box #1:  empty - the box closure pin had been pulled, leaving the side of the box open.  I closed it.

Box #2:  Tree Swallow nest - no eggs.  (note all the feathers)

Box #3:  Bluebird nest, no eggs.  (I assume the male bluebird who's been fighting his reflection in the window - is nesting here).

Bluebirds & Tree Swallows in Tarrant Park

We noticed more Bluebirds and Tree Swallows flying around the park this afternoon.  Also great views of Ruby and Golden-crowned Kinglets and Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers.  Marsh Marigolds are in bloom.  Bur Oaks are flowering and Cottonwood buds have just opened.

Box #1:  House Sparrow Nest removed

Box #2:  bluebird nest, no eggs

Box #3:  bluebird nest, no eggs

Box #4:  empty

Box #5:  bluebird nest, no eggs

Box #6:  bluebird nest, 5 eggs

Box #7:  bluebird nest, no eggs

Box #8:  bluebird nest, 3 eggs

Chilly, Windy Day in Maxville

Box #1:  not up

Box #2:  nest, no eggs


Box #3:  4 eggs

Box #4:  5 eggs

Box #5:  not up

Box #6:  empty

Peterson style box:  nest, no eggs, saw a pair of adults nearby

AES Students have 2 nests

The 5th grade students checked their bluebird trail today and was very disappoint to find that there were no bluebird nests in 6 of the 8 nestboxes.. In box 3 students did find the start of a nest but also noticed that there were bugs in the nest-possible some sort of mite? Spirits began to raise as we checked box 6 and found a bluebird nest in it. The suprise and excitement came at box 5 when students opened the box and not only found a nest but 5 eggs.

AES Students Clean Bluebird Boxes

On Thursday, April 1, 2010 the 5th grade Arkansaw Elementary School students took 2 hours out of their day to clean bluebird boxes on their bluebird trail. It was quite an experience for many of them. Scrubbing the boxes proved to be more of a job than many expected but they all did a very nice job.

April 15, 2010

We officially have a bluebird nest with 5 eggs in it. My daughter is holding one bluebird egg. She is very excited to check the box daily to make sure all is okay.

Open Top "Baudry" style Bluebird Boxes on SR 25

One of my neighbors installed 4 open-top bluebird boxes on wood poles several years ago.

Prior to 1979, the North American Bluebird Society recommended these boxes because House Sparrows don't like to nest in boxes with open roofs.

But these boxes turned out to be deadly for bluebirds - adults, chicks and eggs.

NABS no longer recommends them.   People across North America reported nestlings were dying in the open-top box from hypothermia caused by wet nests and cold weather.  The Bluebird Restoration Association of Wisconsin (BRAW) which once recommended the open-top box, no longer does so.

I cleaned out the boxes then talked to my neighbor about what I found in them (dead adults, chicks and eggs).  He "modified" the roofs on the boxes - and is allowing me to monitor them.

Here's what they look like:

Pepin Bluebird Boxes

No bluebirds - no nest activity

Butterflies and Wren Boxes in Maxville

 

bird nest boxes and tools in the back of my Prius today

Cleaned 2 of the unoccupied bluebird boxes on Maxville Trail #2, moved one box to a better location, and re-located 2 wren boxes to wren habitat away from one of the bluebird boxes.

Saw several butterflies.  A Mourning Cloak and an Eastern Comma (with the 2 hooks - one at either end of the white "comma" on the underwing).

Eastern Comma Butterfly

Eastern Comma - underwing - note the white "comma"

Here's what's been going on in the bluebird boxes:

Box #1:  not up

Box #2:  a male bluebird was sitting on the post when I re-installed the cleaned box.  I relocated the 2 wren boxes that were too close.  They're up where Bluebird Box #4 used to be -  the one that had House Wrens last year (and the mice yesterday).

Box #3:  A male bluebird sitting on the wire, a female on the nest with 2 eggs.

Box #4:  Female sitting on 5 eggs.

Box #5:   not back up yet

Box #6:  Cleaned it out with soap and bleach to get rid of the mouse odor, and re-installed it 100 yards east of box #4.

King's Hwy Box:  nest, no eggs

Two Wren Boxes relocated to more suitable habitat  - and away from the bluebird trail:

81º in Durand Today - Moved Box #4

The bluebird egg business is heating up in Tarrant Park today:

Box #1 - house sparrow nest removed - yet again

Box #2 - no activity

Box #3-  beginning of a nest

Box #4 - after little or no activity for the past 2 seasons - and nothing so far this season, I moved the box to a more open area in Tarrant Park - totally out of view of box #5

Box #5 - nest,  no eggs

Box #6 - 4 Eggs!  Female sitting on them

Box #7 - house sparrow nest - with yarn and cigarette wrappers.  I removed it

Box #8 - 1 Egg

5 eggs!

The first report on Trail #2 in Maxville:

Box# 1 (down for repairs)

  Box #2  

   Empty

Box #3 

1-bluebird Egg

Box #4

5 eggs!

It is okay to touch the eggs

Box #5 (down for repairs)

Box #6 had 2 very cute mouse tenants

I evicted them.

Peterson-style box on Kings Hwy

nest - no eggs

Tarrant Park

Box #1,5,6,8 have nests
Box #6 has 1 bluebird egg

All others empty

House Sparrow Nest in Box #1

Yesterday afternoon I found this House Sparrow Nest in box #1. The adult sitting on it flew off when I opened the door.


I pulled the nest out and tossed it on the ground.

I came back to look again this afternoon. The female House Sparrow was in the box, sitting on a new nest (yarn, grasses, paper and other debris). I pulled it out and discarded it - again.

Next time you're in the park, take a look at this box. If you see a House Sparrow nest, yank it out!

Eau Galle Cheese Factory

We saw no bluebirds at all and no Tree Swallows on SR 25 - compared with lots last weekend

Box 1: Beginnings of a Tree Swallow nest

Box 2: Beginnings of a Tree Swallow nest

Box 3: Beginnings of a Tree Swallow nest

First Bluebird Egg in Tarrant Park!

I was surprised that I only saw one Bluebird in Tarrant Park this afternoon. Before the cold snap, the park was full of them.

Box 1: removed a House Sparrow nest (no eggs)

Box 2: empty

Box 3: empty

Box 4: empty

Box 5: nest, no eggs

Box 6: a female sitting on an egg!

Box 7: empty

Box 8: nest, no eggs

I also checked the 4 boxes at the Panther Bus lot. The parking lot by the trail was noisy with Tree Swallows last week. Only saw one pair hanging out today.

Box 1: Empty

Box 2: Swallow on the wire above, nesting material in the box

Box 3: empty

Box 4: empty

Maxville nests

Nest Box 1.l

There's been no new activity in this box since we checked it last Wednesday with the Maxville Alternative School students. We found the adult male dead on the ground near the box.

The start of a bluebird nest remains in the box. If there's no change by Tuesday, I'll remove it.

Nest Box 1.2

A pair has been hanging out since last week. They were still there today. There is the start of a bluebird nest in the box today.

I had an unexpected close encounter with a pair of Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers doing what appeared to be a breeding display in the pines at the edge of the woods - about 30 yards away.

Dead Adult Male in Maxville

I showed students at Maxville Altenative School how to monitor boxes today. Good news and bad news.

Box #1 - not a bird in sight. A few grasses were in the nest box.

I expected to see the adult male we've been seeing on the box the past few days. The students looked around and discovered the male, dead on the ground. The only sign of trauma was a hole in his skull where his left eye had been. He must have been killed relatively recently. His other eye was still intact and we spotted only one insect on his feathers.


Box #2 - bluebird nesting materials in the nest.

A pair of bluebirds were flying around, singing and perching on the utility wires nearby. Lots of other birds around, including a very vocal house finch.

Pepin Bluebird Nest

On Sunday, PW reported seeing bluebirds in the backyard.

Box #1: the rim of a rudimentary grass nest was formed.

Box #2: no activity

Bluebirds are Building Nests in Tarrant Park!

We monitored the Tarrant Park boxes today.

Box #1: House Sparrow Nest - and House Sparrows going in and out. We removed the nest. House Sparrows and Starlings are not native to North America and are not protected by federal law, so it is okay to remove their nests and eggs. However, it is illegal to interfere with Tree Swallows, House Wrens and any other native species who try to set up house in nest boxes.

Box #2 no activity

Box #3 no activity

Box #4 no activity

Box #5 Bluebird Nest Activity

Box #6 Bluebird Nest Activity

Box #7 no activity

Box #8 Bluebird Nest Activity.

We also checked out the boxes in the School Bus parking lot (installed by a man who works at the bus company).

Tree Swallows are back and they appear to be defending 3 boxes parallel to the Chippewa River State Trail. The 4th box, on the opposite side of the bus parking lot by the gas tank has had no activity. In previous years, because of its location, it has attracted House Wrens.

Here's the info on these 4 boxes:

    

Yellow Box #1   Tree Swallow Activity    

                                                      N   44º 38.256'    Elevation 709 feet
                                                     W 091º 57.016'

   

Tan/Green Box #2   Tree Swallow Activity

                                                    N   44º 38.247'     Elevation 719 feet
                                                   W 091º 57.055'

  
                                                 Yellow Box #3    Tree Swallow Activity
                                                  N  44º 38.222'     Elevation 721 feet
                                                W 091º 57.119'

  

Yellow Box #4    no activity

                                                              N   44º 38.205'    Elevation 725 feet
                                                              W 091º 57.081'

   
There is a Peterson style bluebird box on the utility pole between boxes 2 and 3. It was over-flowing with the remainders of old nests. I could not reach the opening without a ladder, so I left it full and have my fingers crossed that no birds will attempt to use it.

Eau Galle Cheese Factory

Last fall I noticed 3 bluebird boxes near the parking lot at Eau Galle Cheese factory gift shop.  I asked if we could move them apart so each box has 100-yards of bluebird habitat, and if we could monitor them.  The answer was yes!

Today we went over and cleaned 3 boxes and moved 2 boxes to new locations.  All the boxes are now on metal poles with the entrances facing east.   Here's what we're monitoring:

At the entrance to the store parking lot

EGCF #1

                                                     N    44º 39.183'   elevation 751
                                                     W 091º 58.731'

 At the store parking lot

EGCF #2

                                                      N    44º 39.229'   elevation 786
                                                      W 091º 58.714'

 Using a cheap paint brush to sweep debris from the box

 State Rd 25 by the north "truck" entrance to the factory

EACF #3

                                                       N    44º 39.253'   elevation 786
                                                       W 091º 58.657'
  

This was the original placement of box #3 - too close to the tree and full of old nesting materials.