Text and photos by Sonjia Shelly, YAS Board
Nest box monitoring at North Davis Channel
TRES=tree swallow; WEBL=western bluebird; HOWR=house wren; HOFI=house finch
Monitoring began 2/24/22 and ended 7/18/22
Observers included Zane Pickus, Ina Rommeck, John Hansen and Sonjia Shelly
Nest building was evident as early as 3/18/22 by TRES (box 3) and a male HOWR (box 6) and by WEBL on 3/28/22 (box 3.2). By 4/4/22 3 additional boxes had evidence of TRES nest building.
By 4/12/22 eggs were found in the WEBL (box 3.2), HOWR (box 6) and TRES( box 3) boxes.
By 4/25/22 three additional boxes contained TRES eggs.
5/9/22 WEBL(box 3.1) has 2 nestlings and 2 eggs. HOWR 7 nestlings, 11 TRES nestlings (3 boxes) and eggs in an additional box.
5/16/22 a second box of WEBL (box 7.1) was located containing 4 nestlings; at this time the first group of TRES (box 3) and the HOWR (box 6) had fledged. The other TRES boxes and WEBL (box 7.1) had nestlings
5/23/22 fledged one box WEBL(box 3.2). One deceased nestling in box (7.1);
5/30/22 second clutch TRES (box 3) had 5 eggs and WEBL(box 3.2) 1 egg on this date but had 5 eggs by the next week
6/6/22 all first clutches had fledged;
6/20/22 (box 3) TRES with nestlings; one (box 3.2) WEBL with nestlings; eggs in 2 other TRES boxes and the other WEBL box (7.1)
7/4/22 TRES fledged from box 3 (one deceased); all boxes fledged by 7/18-25.
7/10/22 WEBL fledged (box3.1), nestlings(box 7.1) banded 7/19, fledged approximately 7/21
TOTALS: 7 of 17 boxes were used from which were fledged – 15 WEBL; 23 TRES; and 7 HOWR
Nest box monitoring at Woodland Regional Park Preserve
Monitoring began 2/13/22 and ended 7/25/22
Observers included Zane Pickus, John Hansen, Ryan Janke, Kirk Ehmsen, Ina Rommeck and Sonjia Shelly
~3/27/22-TRES nesting began (2 boxes); first eggs found 4/15/22
4/24/22- eggs present in 4 boxes; 5/1/22- eggs in 7 boxes and hatchlings in one
5/15/22- nestlings were present in 6 (one of which contained 5 house finches); eggs in 3 boxes
5/22/22- 7 boxes with nestlings, 1 with eggs and one group fledged.
5/29/22- new box with eggs; finches had fledged
6/05/22- second clutch in box 1; 7 boxes had fledged, 2 boxes with eggs
6/28/22-10 nestlings ready to fledge from 3 boxes
7/24/22- all nestlings had fledged, boxes cleaned and dropped
TOTALS: 10 of 15 boxes were used, producing 47 TRES eggs and 5 HOFI eggs. Of those 40 TRES and 5 HOFI fledged. 2nd broods – 10 TRES fledged from 3 boxes