Trail monitoring report
All nest monitoring is conducted in accordance with The Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Nestwatch Nest Monitoring Manual. All monitoring data is entered into the Nestwatch database, and an end-of-year summary is also submitted to the New York State Bluebird Society. If you’d like to follow along with our Bluebird Trail Map, please open https://landisarboretum.org/assets/images/Maps/ARB-BB-Trail-combo-3-4-25.jpg
Nest box monitoring began during March and has continued weekly. As usual, a number of bluebirds stayed through the winter at the Arboretum so there were bluebirds here year-round. The first tree swallows returned on April 15. Since then, they’ve been busy competing with each other and with some of the bluebirds to lay claim to nest boxes
It doesn’t feel like spring until the bluebirds start nesting. In case you didn’t notice, spring arrived late this year. The bluebirds certainly noticed. The first bluebird egg of the year was laid on April 28, which is fifteen days later than last year. As of May 8, 15 eggs have been laid. For comparison there were 32 by this date last year and with four less nest boxes. It will be interesting to see if this year’s birds are able to catch up by the end of the summer. The first bluebird nestlings should begin fledging in early June with the first swallows and wrens following a week or two later.
Classes/Field Trips
The bird-related classes and field trips remaining for 2025 include: Early Birding - A Birding Workshop for Kids, Bluebird Trail Walk #3, Sunrise Celebration Nature Walk, Bird Feeder Making Workshop, Second Annual Big Sit Bird Watch and the Annual Halloween Owl Prowl. Visit our Upcoming Events webpage to see details and to sign up.
Bluebird Lottery – Interim Report
84 participants submitted lottery guesses by the April 15 deadline. These guesses spanned all but one of the 22 nest box pair locations. As of May 8, locations AT2, PT3, WFT2, WPT2 were on track to fledge bluebirds by the June 15 lottery end date, but it is still possible for others to squeak in. The prize drawings will be held in late June and winners will be notified by email. If necessary, a follow-up drawing will be held to award any unclaimed grand prizes. Look for our Bluebird Lottery final report in the fall issue of the Arboretum newsletter.
For more birding news, click here to access the Bluebird News and Muse blog.