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Volunteers at work. We installed a new trail of boxes at the Betasso Preserve on Feb 29, called Betasso-2 and added a box to the Shanahan Trail on Mar 12. I'll add various pictures of people monitoring boxes as the season progresses.
Birch installing Betasso Box 12 with power drill/screwdriver
Birch and Susan at Betasso Box 15
Susan Spaulding, our Boulder County Parks and Open Space coordinator, labeling Betasso Box 16
Jim Guerin after installation of Shanahan Box 6
Maddy Goldhawk opening box at Walker Ranch, with old burn area in background. (Apr 23)
Pretty box location at Betasso (May 23)
Marti monitoring (May 23)
Neal Thielen opens a box at Heil Ranch, with Elain standing by.
Elain Thielen checks a box.
A predator took the chicks from Betasso Box 3, leaving the nest undisturbed as if there had never been a clutch of chicks in it. A week after finding the box empty, we found 6 newly laid eggs, so we decided to do a deterrence experiment with some aluminum flashing. However, the flashing failed to prevent predation of the second clutch. The flashing will be removed at the end of the season.
Installing flashing on the tree required working around a branch.
The flashing is not conspicuous from a distance - center isolated tree.
2008 bluebird gallery, with a puzzle. Can you find the bird in the last picture in the top row? It's highlighted in the last picture in the second row.
Male Western Bluebird
Male Western Bluebird.
Watching carefully as we approach the box.
The adults often check their boxes before entering.
Can you find the male Western Bluebird in plain view in this picture? (See below for solution.) This shows how effective the orange and blue can be as camouflage in this setting.
The first 4 pictures in the row below are of the Mountain bluebird pair tending Betasso Box 1. The pictures were made on two different weeks.
Mountain Bluebirds near box.
Female Mountain Bluebird with food.
Male Mountain Bluebird.
Mountain Bluebird pair waiting with food for us to leave after box check
Camouflaged bird is highlighted.
Pictures of nest progress, from various boxes.
Bluebird nest decorated with Flicker feathers.
Nest with 5 eggs.
It's common to have 6 eggs. A very uncommon nest at Walker Ranch this year hS 8 eggs and fledged all the chicks.
Hatching Western Bluebird chick (May 23)
Developments after hatching.
These chicks are just a day or two old. No feathers yet. (May 29)
About 5 days old. Notice the fuzzy beginnings of feathers. (June 19)
These Western Bluebird chicks are about 11 days after hatching. (June 13)
Trying to get up courage to leave the box? Perhaps the last in the nest?
After the chicks fledge, the box is pretty messy. This is what swallows are likely to move into. (June 19)
We have particularly enjoyed watching the White-breasted Nuthatches at Betasso, Box 5. On May 16, we watched an elaborately cautious return to the box after we had finished monitoring. Just a few of a great many pictures shown below. Camera and long lens on a tripod for the whole show.
Check the box from our right.
A bit closer
Go to the other side.
Examine the hole.
Safe to return to those five eggs!
June 13, White-breasted Nuthatch chicks ready to fledge, possibly even later that day. I took advantage of the camera's burst mode, 5 pictures at 3/second.
Where's my lunch?
Bringing food.
Delivery to box interior is one feeding option.
Some chicks come to the entrance for food.
Delivery complete, a fraction of a second after the adjacent picture.
Swallows typically nest a bit later than the bluebirds. On the Betasso-1 trail, we have observed only Violet-green Swallows. We've seen a number of conflicts between the swallows and bluebirds. Apprarently, the swallows would generally like to nest before the bluebirds have fledged young. The problem is compounded, of course, when the bluebirds start a second clutch.
Violet-green Swallow.
Violet-green Swallow eggs (Box 20, June 27)
Violet-green Swallow in nestbox. (Box 5, June 27)
Violet-green Swallow hatchlings and 4 remaining eggs. (Box 20, July 4)
Violet-green Swqallow chicks about one week after hatching.
As the chicks near time for fledging, they often appear at the hole waiting for a parent to feed them without ever landing on the box. Box 6 is proving very unusual. First, we observed a Violet-green Swallow (VGSW) hanging out of the box when we only knew of Western Bluebird (WEBL) chicks in the box. The following week (June 27), there were one blue (WEBL) and one white (VGSW) eggs in the box. Both species of parents were perched in a nearby tree when we checked the box.
Violet-green Swallow chick waiting for food where we believed that 6 Western Bluebird chicks were nearly ready to fledge. A male bluebird was nearby when the pic was taken. (Box 6, June 19) We didn't see either species go to the box with food.
5 Western Bluebird eggs and 1 Violet-green Swallow egg. (Box 6, July 4)
A week later (July 11) the eggs have been moved, with the swallow egg now in the center.
We've spotted a couple of cases of cavity nesters that aren't using our boxes.
Pygmy Nuthatch taking a brief rest from excavating a nest hole, May 14.
Pygmy Nuthatch entering the hole for more work.
Tree Swallow, June 13, apparently guarding the hole. We had noticed the swallow's interest in this hole in previous weeks.
Western Bluebird atop snag with hole, suggesting possible nest there (June 27, also present July 4).
Mountain Bluebird on power pole with hole. Flew repeatedly to top of pole, but didn't enter hole. (June 27)
A few of the other birds along the trails.
May 14, Red Crossbill near Betasso Box 17.
May 14, Clark's Nutcracker, a surprise Betasso visitor at only 6400 ft.
Green-tailed Towhee singing.
Common Nighthawk in daytime perch near Betasso parking area. (June 27)
Common Nighthawk shortly after landing in daytime perch near Betasso parking area. (June 30)
Finally, a few flower pictures
Wallflower (May 23)
Wallflowers
Early Larkspur (May 23)
Mixed flowers: Mouse-ear Chickweed (white) and Alpine Phlox (May 23)
Alpine Phlox closeup.
Prickly Poppy (June 27)
Prickly Poppy closeup (July 4)
Mariposa Lily (July 11)
Bee Balm (July 4)
Bush Sunflower with a convenient ladybug (July 4)
Prickly Pear Cactus (July 4)
Prickly Pear Cactus cluster (July 4)
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