4 Chicks Still in the Box

Box #6 is the only active box left in Tarrant Park.

When I opened the box today, the 4 little nestlings were taking a noon siesta.   Once they realized I didn't have food, they put their heads down and closed their eyes.  Hear the zzzz's?

Looks like their feathers are in and they should be taking the big leap any day now.

One Box Left

All but one of the boxes in Tarrant Park are empty

Box #1:  3 chicks fledged.

Box #6:  4 chicks growing feathers.  An attentive female sat on the power line overhead as I checked in on her nestlings.

Chicks in the Park

All but two of the boxes in Tarrant Park have been empty for the 3rd brood.

Box #1:  3 chicks should fledge soon

Box #6:  4 newly hatched chicks

Eggs and Chicks

It was almost too steamy to go out to check the bluebird boxes today.  90+ degrees and 70% humidity. 

The insects seemed to be enjoying the heat.  I spotted several butterflies - Red Admirals, sulphurs and Commas, but they were flitting so fast, I couldn't get any photos. 

Box #1 had three chubby chicks.  The hen was sitting on them when I arrived.  She took off when I closed my car door.

Box #6 has 4 bluebird eggs

Boxes 3, 5 and 8 are empty.  I doubt if we'll see a 3rd nest in them this month, but I'll keep checking.

3rd Brood in Tarrant Park

I had all but given up on a 3rd brood in Tarrant Park, until today.

Box#1:  3 new hatchlings, female flew out of the box as I approached.

Box#3:  empty

Box:#5:  empty

Box #6:  4 new bluebird eggs, the start of a third brood in this box.

Box# 8:  empty.

New Boxes in Tarrant Park

I replaced boxes showing woodpecker damage in Tarrant Park with new boxes I received from Kent Hall of the Bluebird Recovery Association of Wisconsin today.

All the boxes in Tarrant Park with the exception of box #1 are currently empty.

Box #1:  3 bluebird eggs

Juveniles Hanging Out in the Park

It was a pleasant surprise to see juvenile bluebirds hanging out in Tarrant Park this afternoon.  I spotted this one on the "speed limit" sign across the road from the Panther Bus Company parking lot.

Box #1:  3 bluebird eggs, female sitting on them.

Box #3:  empty

Box #5:  empty

Box #6:  empty

Box #8:  all 5 chicks fledged.  I emptied the box.

Tarrant Park - new nest and soon-to-be fledglings

Box #1:  female bluebird flew out as I walked up to it.  3 new bluebird eggs!

Box #3:  empty

Box #5:  empty

Box #6:  empty

Box #8:  4 nestlings, soon-to-fledge!

Independence Day in Tarrant Park

Box #1:  Empty.  I think this location is a problem due to the number of House Sparrow nest boxes in neighboring yards (I counted 5 boxes within view of this one).

Box#3:  Empty - 5 chicks fledged

Box #5: Empty - 5 chicks fledged

Box #6:  empty - 5 chicks fledged

Box #8:  3 chicks (one less than last visit)

Only 1 Empty Box

Box #1:  empty - no nest/no eggs
Box #3:  5 chix
Box #5:  5 chix
Box #6:  5 chix
Box #8:  4 eggs

Tarrant Park - Eggs are hatching

Box #1 is still empty - no nest.  House Sparrows sitting on top.

Box #3:  5 bluebird chicks

Box #5:  4 bluebird chicks

Box #6:  5 bluebird chicks

Box #8:  4 bluebird eggs

2nd Broods in Tarrant Park

Box #1 is still empty - no nest.

Box #3:  5 bluebird eggs

Box #5:  4 bluebird chicks

Box #6:  5 recently hatch bluebird chicks

Box #8:  2 bluebird eggs

Eggs in the Park - Wrens @ Panther Bus

Fun Fest weekend in Durand.   Downtown and Tarrant Park were busy with people - cars and noise everywhere.  I braved the crowd and took a look at the boxes in the Park and Panther Bus parking area.

Tarrant Park

Box #1:  3  bluebirds fledged.  I cleaned out the box and found one old, cold unhatched bluebird egg

Box #3:  5  bluebird eggs

Box #5:  4 bluebird eggs

Box #6:  5 bluebird eggs

Box #8:  bluebird nest, no eggs -  the 5 eggs from 6/7 are gone


Panther Bus Parking Lot

Box #1:  grass nest

Box #2:  empty

Box #3:  4 House Wren eggs; 2 hatched chicks

Box #4:  6 House Wren chicks ready to fledge

Tarrant Park

Box #1:  3 chicks
Box 2 is down
Box #3:  3 Bluebird Eggs
Box #5:  4 bluebird Eggs
Box#6:  5 Bluebird Eggs
Box #8:  The new nest has 3 bluebird eggs in it



There are 6 House Wren eggs box #3 in the bus parking lot

There are 6 House Wren Chicks box #4 in the bus parking lot

Tarrant Park - new nests

Box # 1 - three bluebird chicks
Box # 2  - male and female bluebird sitting on top of the box but no nest yet.
Box  # 3  -  2  fledged
Box  # 5  -  4 BB eggs
Box  # 6  -  4 BB eggs
Box  # 8  -  4 fledged, now a new nest

submitted by TP - Durand

Tarrant Park New Nests

First Brood Totals for 6 Bluebird Boxes in Tarrant Park

Eggs:  23
Hatchlings:  16
Fledglings:  14

Box #1:  3 Bluebird chicks and one egg (the egg may be infertile).
Box #2:  empty
Box #3:  new nest
Box #5:  2 bluebird eggs
Box #6:  1 Bluebird egg

Box #8:  new nest - finished in less than 24 hours (I sanitized the box yesterday

New Clutches in Tarrant Park

It was a beautiful day in the neighborhood park today: 82º F, blue sky and low humidity.

I washed out box #8 and put it back up - clean and ready to go for the next brood.  With the promise of warm weather, the next brood should get off to a good start.

Box #1:  3 newly hatched bluebird chicks and one unhatched egg
Box #2:  House sparrow nest (I removed it).
Box #3:  House sparrow nest (removed).
Box #5:  1 Bluebird egg in a nest made of pine needles
Box #6:  bluebird nest - no eggs
Box #8:  cleaned and reinstalled.

Bluebird Fledgling Total = 9

Tarrant Park is jumping with birds... Baltimore Orioles, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, Gray Catbirds, Redstarts and American Robins!

Box 1:  4 hot bluebird eggs

Box 2:  Removed House Sparrow nest

Box 3:  2 healthy chicks - ready to fledge.

Box 5:   3 chicks fledged; clean

Box 6:  (5 fledged)  2 adults on top of the box, building a new nest

Box 10:  (1 chick fledged) 3 chicks ready to fledge

5 Fledglings!

Tarrant Park is full of migrating neotropical songbirds - Baltimore Orioles, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, Redstarts, Yellow Warblers, Common Yellowthroats and a Harris's Sparrow.
Box #1:  4 hot eggs and male incubating

Box #2:  empty

Box #3:  2 healthy chicks

Box #5:  3 healthy chicks

Box #6:  empty - Looks like 5 have fledged.  Removed the nest, swept out the box.

Box #8:  4 healthy chicks

13 chicks and 6 eggs in Tarrant Park

After a night with the temperature below freezing, I was reluctant to check the boxes today.  I waited until the thermometer hit 59ºF and took a spin through the park to check them out.  I was pleasantly surprised, but concerned that the chicks (and their parents) have not gotten much to eat the past 2 days.

Box #1:  3 Bluebird Eggs - finally - after dispatching the House Sparrows.

Box #2:  This has become a "problem" box recently - human vandalism and now House Sparrows.

Box #3:  2 warm bluebird eggs - bird on the nest

Box #5:  3 chicks and 1 egg - bird on the nest

Box #6:  5 chicks - parents dive-bombing and bill clacking as I make the nest check.

Box #8:  5 chicks  - bird on the nest

The boxes at the school bus parking lot have been unsuccessful so far.

Box #1:  House sparrow nest with ants - removed

Box #2:  House sparrow nest with 6 eggs - removed

Box #3:  empty (mouse family has moved on)

Peterson Box:  very wet and empty

Box #4:  scolding House Wrens holding on to 2 eggs (cold)