[Bluebird-babble] FW: Cherokee Ranch 2005 Season Report

[Susan Smith]

From: kfreema [mailto:kfreema at attglobal.net] 
Sent: Wednesday, December 21, 2005 1:00 PM
To: ROBART49 at EARTHLINK.NET; 'Kipp Carhill'; Carmdstf at aol.com;
kathydressel at aol.com; fredgriest at earthlink.net; dougjanhodous at earthlink.net;
ouzels at juno.com; sueschulman at msn.com; ssmith at denveraudubon.org
Subject: Cherokee Ranch 2005 Season Report

 

 

CHEROKEE RANCH NEST BOX PROJECT

2005 SEASON

 

 

The final numbers for the 203 nest boxes on the Cherokee Ranch for the 2005
season have been posted with both Cornell and NABS:


 

 
Eggs            Nestlings               Fledged                        

 

                                                Mountain Bluebird        303
261                   248    

 

                                                Western Bluebird
555                 476                   442

                                                

                                                Tree Swallow
77                  67                      59


 

                                                Violet Green Swallow     77
60                      54

                                                 

                                                House Wren
33                  11                      11

                                                 

                                                Northern Flicker
4                     4                        4                

 

 

We had a severe infestation of European Paper Wasps trying to hive in nest
boxes this season.  It was a continuing problem and a constant battle trying
to keep the nest boxes free of this pest.  

 

Phase II of our blowfly control experiment, placing pine sprays under nests
when eggs appear and all through nesting until fledge, proved to be
successful  and a viable method of control.  There did not appear to be any
chick mortality due to blowfly activity.  We will continue on with Phase III
of the experiment during the 2006 season.  Robin Bartlett will work on the
data compilation for Phase II and do a comparison study of results between
Phase I and Phase II.

 

The use of  Snake-Away around boxes that are still mounted on fence posts
was also a resounding success.  This is the first season we have used it,
and at first glance, it appears only two nests with eggs suffered
depredation due to snakes and none with chicks.  We continue to move boxes
off fences when we can, but time is so limited when the ground isn't frozen
and we are able to set free-standing posts.

 

There appeared to be the situation of chick mortality due to both extreme
heat and hypothermia.  We lost chicks when the weather was so wet and cold
early in the season and again due to heat when the temperatures reached 100F
and more on some of the more exposed sections of trails, but not nearly as
many as last season when the swallows, in particular, were almost completely
decimated during the extended wet and cold weather.

 

All in all, it was an extremely successful season, due to the factors
already discussed, and all of the numbers were considerably more than last
season.

We will continue to try to explore new means and methods to ensure
successful nesting attempts.  We spend off-season doing on-line and library
research, finding out what other trail monitors/programs are doing and
studying whether or not some of it might be possible and pertinent to our
program.  

 

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