Tuesday, May 17, 2016

WOW!! I can't believe it is Mid May already!

Where does the time go when you reach this place in life, having so much fun sharing information and excitement with people about and along the Bluebird Trail.

I have not had a blog update since February 15th and I do apologize for that. My goal this year was to do an update at least monthly! And that is still my goal, I hope you understand that we are in the middle of the 2016 nesting season as we blog. I will share some numbers with you a little later on in the blog.


The Green Meadows Preserve is starting to look really good right now with the wild flowers blooming in the open fields. It would be a great time for you to come out for a walk, before the weather gets any hotter.


We have a lot of Nest Boxes that look like this one right now, with complete nest in them, many going on the second brood for the nesting season. They can have up to four broods each nesting season, that is how we can fledge so many birds from the 38 nest boxes that we monitor.

If you check your nest boxes on a weekly basis during nesting season, you know at what stage the eggs or birds are at all times and that way you know when they fledge so you can clean out the old nest. They will within days start building a new nest for the next brood.


 We have had close to 400 people join us this year on a Green Meadows Preserve Park Bluebird Trail Walk and Talk Tour. (Garden groups, the monthly tours for the general public, school groups, bird watchers and hiking groups.) Look for the dates of the tours coming in the near future for the general public in the To Go Calendar section of the MDJ.

Also check the two information boards at the park for the tour dates and times, one is located by the Community Garden fence and the other is by the old red barn and the Cherokee Garden.

This will give you some idea of what happened to the numbers for the Eastern Bluebird and why people like me do what we do across North America to help this beautiful song bird.

They can only reproduce and increase their numbers by building nest in cavities. That is why we are creating Bluebird Trails such as the one we have at Green Meadows Preserve Park.

Every Nest Box helps them to increase their numbers, if you have open space in your yard that would support a Nest Box. Build or purchase one and put it up and they will build their nest and raise their young.







Over the past four years I have built and installed nest boxes in  yards or gardens for many friends.

A good friend sent me this photo yesterday of her Nest Box and the beautiful blue eggs that are in her nest. Congratulations Diana! Another good friend that I placed two Nest Boxes in her yard just sent an email yesterday telling me that she now has a Bluebird family in each of her Nest Boxes. Congratulations Barbara!  


Here are the numbers for the nesting season so far as of Sunday 5-15-16. We have 98 new babies that have fledged!

This is the site for The Cornell Lab of Ornithology Nest Watch, where I record my findings after checking the boxes each week. They can track the progress of people like me across North America to see how our success is compared to other people that are maintaining Bluebird Trails.

How what I do with predator guard poles, or by supplementing their food of insects with dried mealworms during nesting season, helps us to have a better hatch and fledge success than those who do not.


  






These are the two remaining dates for the second quarter that we have tours scheduled for the general public Bluebird Trail Walk and Talk Tours. Please come join us this Saturday May 21, 2016 at 10:00 am.





 
This is the Map of the Trails and the color coded distances throughout the Green Meadows Park. Check the information boards for better viewing.

We welcome your attendance at one or all of our educational series, "Bluebird Trail Walk and Talk Tours"

They are free of cost! We ask if you like our cause and want to help, please make a contribution to the Bluebird Trail. Your donations help with the feeding of the Bluebirds and maintaining the Trail.




 





Become a Friend of the Bluebird Trail at Green Meadows Preserve Park by making a donation today, or volunteer and help us with some of the work that is required to keep the Trail in good nesting condition.





 
For questions: Call Jim B (cell) 404-202-8755 or jimbearden@bellsouth.net
Follow us at the Bluebird Trail Blog bluebirdtrail.blogspot.com
 


Green Meadows Preserve Park Bluebird Trail, Where Birds Come to Life!
 
Thanks for joining us along the Bluebird Trail.....Jim B