Nestbox. the. Our Goal SIBTS Annual General Meeting. creating nesting habitat for native cavity-nesting birds

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1 the W I N T E R Nestbox THE SOUTHERN INTERIOR BLUEBIRD TRAIL SOCIETY Our Goal creating nesting habitat for native cavity-nesting birds Male Mountain Bluebird photo by Tobi Tucker 2017 SIBTS Annual General Meeting Saturday, September 30th in Osoyoos - details will be sent out this summer

2 Southern Interior Bluebird Trail Society (SIBTS) Old Richter Pass Road Osoyoos, BC V0H 1V5 MEMBERSHIP FORM for new memberships or renewals to the Southern Interior Bluebird Trail Society Name Board of Directors PRESIDENT Ray Town, Logan Lake PAST PRESIDENT Bob Bogula, Loagn Lake TREASURER Patricia Osborne, Logan Lake Street/Box City Province Postal Code Phone SECRETARY Christine Galliazzo, Lillooet Enclosed: $10 membership Donation DIRECTORS Lee Chic, Osoyoos Total Sandy Proulx, Williams Lake Claude (Ms.) Rioux, Vernon Harold Sellers, Vernon Please make cheques payable to Southern Interior Bluebird Trail Society (or SIBTS) and mail to Old Richter Pass Road, Osoyoos, BC V0H 1V5 A tax receipt will be issued for donations of $10.00 or more. The Nestbox Page 2!

3 President s Perch by Ray Town 2016 was been an exciting year. First the bluebirds showed up earlier, making for a lot more second nestings. Encourage others to go when you monitor and enjoy the outdoors. Very cold winter, hope the bluebirds did better than our small birds. Christmas bird counts down all around. = Then there was the North America Bluebird Conference at Ellis Bird Farm in Alberta. I met bluebird monitors from all over North America there. There were discussions and videos on tracking bluebirds using geolocator and GPS technology, nest box parasites, etc. The Ellis Bird Farm is worth visiting. Then a great turnout at the SIBTS AGM. Welcome to the new board members. Don't forget to renew memberships. at right, a female Mountain Bluebird photo courtesy of Tobi Tucker The Nestbox Page! 3

Western Meets Mountain Although not unknown, it is uncommon for a Western Bluebird to mate with a Mountain Bluebird. Even more rare, is to have a Western in the area of Williams Lake.

4 Western Meets Mountain Although not unknown, it is uncommon for a Western Bluebird to mate with a Mountain Bluebird. Even more rare, is to have a Western in the area of Williams Lake. Story by Janet Stafford I moved to a property about 20 km north of Williams Lake off of Highway 97 in I had a very bad mosquito problem so I built nest boxes in 2009 for tree swallows. The aim of the boxes was merely to attract tree swallows to help combat the mosquitoes. I never dreamed it would turn me into a birder! In 2011 I noticed the first MOBL here, but none of the boxes was used by MOBL. I had not really even expected them to use it. I was a complete novice when it came to hosting birds! all the chicks were gone. I have since moved the boxes to where horses can t get to them. I also had chickadee boxes and learned that ants really do kill chicks. And squirrels... yes, they can and do get into nest boxes, even ones that are supposed to be squirrel proof. A MOBL pair returned in Sandy Proulx and I had decided to try raising mealworms to feed our bluebirds. The female was very easy to train I nailed a tuna can to a post near the nest box, put meal worms in it and rang a bell. She learned very, very quickly she found the worms within an hour and I think it took less than a week for her to learn to associate the bell with the worms. I then moved the can to a post nearer to the house, and farther from her nest box, but since she really knew the drill by then she came to the can as soon as I rang the bell. In fact, by the middle of June I didn t even have to ring the bell because she d hear the screen door open and she often beat me to the can. The female raised a second brood this year. After the first brood fledged the male disappeared and the female was alone on the nest until the day the 2nd brood In 2012 I saw a male MOBL checking out one of the boxes and there was MOBL nest built in it but it not used. Then, finally, in 2013 a MOBL pair used one of the nest boxes. This year was a HUGE learning year for me, as far as nest boxes go... everything you read about regarding what to watch out for happened to me. Horses knocked the MOBL nestbox off the post the day the chicks were supposed to fledge! I was horrified to look out, expecting to see the house on the post, and to see if there was any parent activity when all I saw was an empty post! I ran out to the field and luckily the chicks were unhurt (one had already fledged) so I reattached the box and the next day male Western Bluebird, photo by Sandy Proulx continued on page 5 The Nestbox Page 4!

Western Meets Mountain, continued from page 4 was to fledge. I think it was August 1, 2014.

5 Western Meets Mountain, continued from page 4 was to fledge. I think it was August 1, I saw the male MOBL that day (he brought some food to the nest box) but when they fledged I didn t see him again. The female stayed with her second brood and brought them to the feeder for worms until they left near the end of August. I have some great pictures of the chicks. In 2015 we again had a MOBL pair in one of the nest boxes. I fed mealworms again, but the female did not have a second brood, which is probably a good thing. I don t want to tire her out! And, this year the male learned about mealworms in the tuna can, too! In 2016 I saw a MOBL pair on March 20. I started feeding mealworms (which I now purchase instead of raising my own!). Then I went on a holiday at the end of April, until the middle of May, and when I returned a Male WEBL was with my mealworm trained female (my husband fed while I was gone). My husband thinks a MOBL pair was at a neighbour s place, but I have not confirmed it with them (and they may not have noticed anyway). This pair had a second brood, too. And the WEBL male stayed around until the 2nd brood fledged. It is pretty unique to have a WEBL here. Firstly WEBL are not seen this far north. Sandy Proulx and Phil Ranson birders from way back have never seen a WEBL in this area. Secondly my place is not a Bluebird mecca like Springhouse, the Chilcotin Highway and the area south of Williams Lake (Mission area), where there are dozens of MOBL pairs. I get ONE bluebird pair a year, and to have a WEBL here is quite an event. below: male Western Bluebird that mated with a female Mountain, photo by Janet Stafford continued on page 6 The Nestbox Page! 5

Western Meets Mountain continued from page 5 One thing I learned about feeding mealworms is that the male MOBL doesn t learn about them nearly as quickly as the female!

In 2014 during migration I saw about 10 Bluebirds for a few days, but only one pair remained. I would really, really like to have more of them nest here, but so far only one pair has stayed around.

6 Western Meets Mountain continued from page 5 One thing I learned about feeding mealworms is that the male MOBL doesn t learn about them nearly as quickly as the female! The male WEBL did take worms, but not nearly as often as the female. We have not had any offspring return here, either. In 2014 during migration I saw about 10 Bluebirds for a few days, but only one pair remained. I would really, really like to have more of them nest here, but so far only one pair has stayed around. I am hoping that my female will return, too. I m very attached to her and hope that she has had a safe year. The picture, below, of the nest box and the female MOBL and male WEBL in the background (out of focus) shows the pair. My camera would only focus on one of them, so I couldn t get a good shot of both of them at once. Eric and Janet Stafford <ejstafford@xplornet.com> = The picture below is from the nd brood. In the picture the female is feeding one chick. You can see the tuna can feeder to the left. The Nestbox Page! 6

Checking Bluebird Nest Boxes by Claire Nicole Schley, age 9 Contributed by Lorna Schley, Quesnel Trail and Nature Club: The following are our granddaughter s impressions about checking nest boxes.

7 Checking Bluebird Nest Boxes by Claire Nicole Schley, age 9 Contributed by Lorna Schley, Quesnel Trail and Nature Club: The following are our granddaughter s impressions about checking nest boxes. She was visiting us in Quesnel; her home is in Smithers. boxes is we knock on the box just in case there is a bird in there and we don t want to scare it. Next we open up the box to see if there is a nest. We also look to see if there are any eggs. We count all the eggs (if there is any). We have this paper that we record what s happening in the nest box. Some of the things we would record are: NE (which stands for nest box empty), MB (stands for mountain blue bird) TS, (stands for a tree swallow). By the way, sometimes TS stay in the boxes. A couple of things I learned: How to tell a MB nest from a TS nest is TS birds they mostly all the time they put feathers in their nest. Well now you know how to check a blue bird box. On Tuesday April 26, 2016 I went with Autumn, Grandma and Grandpa to go check blue bird boxes. How we did that is there are 28 bird boxes that we have to check. How we check the bird Below: Claire Schley checking bluebird nestbox on the Dragon Lake Bluebird Trail, Quesnel, B.C. The Nestbox Page! 7

Nestbox Designs by Harold Sellers There are many designs for bird

One very good source I ve found is the Nestbox Builder Website.

html Pictured here are three designs for bluebirds.

each design there are complete construction plans downloadable

8 Nestbox Designs by Harold Sellers There are many designs for bird nest boxes and even many for bluebirds. One very good source I ve found is the Nestbox Builder Website. Pictured here are three designs for bluebirds. There are several others also described at Nestbox Builder and for each design there are complete construction plans downloadable from the website. = above: the f30 design above: three Xbox nestboxes above: two boxes of the gilwood design The Nestbox Page! 8

Paper Wasps Adapted from the Sialis website, http:// www.sialis.org/paperwasp.

9 Paper Wasps Adapted from the Sialis website, Paper wasps are nasty buggers that seem to love to quickly build umbrella shaped nests in nestboxes, baffles, and feeders. Many birds will avoid or abandon a box that has paper wasps in it - even if they have eggs or young. There are over 20 different species of paper wasps (Polistes spp.) in North America. They are more likely to sting during the day when an active nest (with larvae) is threatened. The sting can be quite painful (I thought it felt like being stabbed with an electrified ice pick.) roof or in nestbox corners, with the nest hanging downward. They are considered beneficial because they prey on caterpillars, etc. The European Paper Wasp (Polistes dominulus) is an introduced species. It is yellow and black like a Yellow Jacket Wasp. They are most easily distinguished from Yellow Jackets by their reddish-brown color with yellowish bands on the abdomen, and by their long, slender bodies. They are more aggressive than native paper wasps. European Paper Wasps were first collected in Massachusetts in 1980 and have spread throughout much of the US and southern Canada. The nests of most true paper wasps are characterized by having open combs with cells for brood rearing, and a 'petiole', or constricted stalk, that anchors the nest. Bald-faced Hornets and Yellow Jackets look similar to Paper Wasps, but their nests are built with a paper bag enclosing the comb. Paper wasps become "imprinted" on a nest site, so just destroying the nest doesn't work. You will have to kill the insects. Native Paper Wasps are mostly brown, and are more active early in the season. They tend to build their nests on the interior (underside of the) To prevent wasp nest building rub the ceiling and sides with unscented Ivory (bar) soap. If a bird nest is present, temporarily cover it with a paper towel to keep soap flakes out, or wet it slightly first. Store soap in a ziploc baggie to keep it from hardening too much or making a mess in a bag. You may have to reapply it several times a year. = The Nestbox Page! 9

NestWatch www.nestwatch.org The Cornell Lab of Ornithology What is NestWatch? NestWatch is a nationwide monitoring program designed to track status and trends in the How Can You Help?

10 NestWatch The Cornell Lab of Ornithology What is NestWatch? NestWatch is a nationwide monitoring program designed to track status and trends in the How Can You Help? Participating in NestWatch is easy and just about anyone can do it, although children should always be accompanied by an adult when observing bird nests. Simply follow the directions on our website to become a certified NestWatcher, find a bird nest using our helpful tips, visit the nest every 3-4 days and record what you see, and then report this information on our reproductive biology of birds, including when nesting occurs, number of eggs laid, how many eggs hatch, and how many hatchlings survive. Our database is intended to be used to study the current condition of breeding bird populations and how they may be changing over time as a result of climate change, habitat degradation and loss, expansion of urban areas, and the introduction of non-native plants and animals. website. Your observations will be added to those of thousands of other NestWatchers in a continually growing database used by researchers to understand and study birds. Simply put, without your help it would be impossible to gather enough information to accurately monitor nesting birds across the country. And while you are contributing valuable information to science, you will learn firsthand about birds and create a lifelong bond with the natural world. = The Nestbox Page! 10

11 Southern Interior Bluebird Trail Society Nesting Report Form Total # of Nestboxes Available: Total # of Nestboxes Used: # of # of # of 2nd Cavity Nesting Species Boxes Eggs # of Eggs # of Chicks Nestings Used Laid Hatched Fledged in same box Western Bluebird Mountain Bluebird Tree Swallow Violet-Green Swallow House Wren Black-capped Chickadee Mountain Chickadee White-breasted Nuthatch Red-breasted Nuthatch Pygmy Nuthatch Other (please specify) NAME: AREA: Address: Phone: Postal Code: Please include a map of your trail(s) on the reverse side or attach a separate page. Add comments of interest to the membership at large to be included in the newsletter, The Nestbox. Some examples and clarification for data entry are on the reverse side. These may seem simple, but many forms are incomplete. If you have any questions about filling in the form, please contact Kathy Nuszdorfer knuszdor@gmail.com The Nestbox Page! 11

12 Complete at end of the season and mail to: Kathy Nuszdorfer, 189 Traders Cove Road, Kelowna,BC V1Z 3S4 or send via to Map of your trail. Please include closest highway or main road near your trail location if possible. 1. The Total # of Nestboxes Available should not be less than the Total # of Nestboxes Used. 2. The # of Boxes Used by the individual Cavity Nesting Species may not be equal to the Total # of Nestboxes Used at the top of the form. (e.g. I have 3 nestboxes, all are used by bluebirds on the first nesting, a pair of swallows then nests after one of the bluebirds. My Total # of Nestboxes Used is 3 but if I added the # of Boxes Used by the individual Cavity Nesting Species it would total 4. 3 is the correct number.) 3. The # of Boxes Used by the individual Cavity Nesting Species should not include the number of boxes that had a second nesting. (e.g. a nestbox is used by Western Bluebirds, they lay 5 eggs, all hatch & all fledge; there is a second nesting of Western Bluebirds in that same box; they lay 4 eggs, all hatch & fledge; you enter 1 box used, 9 eggs, 9 hatched, 9 fledged,1 second nesting.) Remember that a second nesting in a box by the same species may not be the same pair of birds. 4. Check that your form is complete. Sometimes the Total # of Nestboxes Available is left blank. The number may be different than the previous year, and your coordinator does not refer to past year forms. The Nestbox Page! 12

The Nestbox. Issue 38 Spring-Summer Bluebirds in fall migration last year in Knutsford, Nicola Valley by Paula Pick

The Nestbox. Issue 38 Spring-Summer Bluebirds in fall migration last year in Knutsford, Nicola Valley by Paula Pick The Nestbox Issue 38 Spring-Summer 2014 The Newsletter of the Southern Interior Bluebird Trail Society "Creating nesting habitat for native cavity-nesting birds" Bluebirds in fall migration last year in