Thirty bluebird babies fledged from 10 nesting pairs
in birdhouses installed by BR-SS Audubon Society’s Eastern Bluebird Project
this year. This is a significant increase from last year’s count of sixteen.
Sadly, only five of the ten nesting pairs succeeded in fledging young
bluebirds. The other five nesting pairs laid eggs, but they were either
abandoned for unknown reasons, or predators destroyed eggs and nestlings. We
plan to add predator guards to most houses by next year.
With proceeds from our society’s fundraisers – the
Bird Seed Sale and Birdathon – we purchased 50 birdhouse kits, mounting poles,
flanges and predator guards. Girl Scout troops and students in a bird club
donated other birdhouses. Since the project began, we have put up 97 new
houses on public and private land. Our group monitors an additional 31 houses
that were already in place, making 128 the total number of birdhouses under
our watch.
Bluebirds nested in our birdhouses at The Burke
Rehabilitation Hospital in White Plains, SUNY Purchase College, The Osborn
Community in Rye, Scarsdale Golf Club and Harts Brook Park & Preserve in
Hartsdale, and Veterans’ Memorial Park in Carmel. In addition, we placed
houses on the Alfredo Property and Ward Acres in Eastchester, Sunningdale Golf
Club and Greenburgh Nature Center in Scarsdale, and along the Bronx River
Parkway Reservation. Other birds using the boxes were tree swallows, house
wrens, and black-capped chickadees. House sparrows attempted to use them, but
monitors removed their nesting material.
Thanks to all who helped with this project. BR-SS
Audubon Society Board Members Joan Heilman and Bonnie Gould installed and
monitored houses. Three volunteers from Rye looked after the houses at
Crawford Park. Thanks Helga Vernon, Tania Vernon and Gaye Marino. Shameka
Edmond, a White Plains High School student, did a research project at The
Burke Rehabilitation Hospital resulting in 14 baby bluebirds fledging. Ten
troops in the Girl Scouts of Westchester*Putnam, Inc. council built and
donated birdhouses as part of an Eastern Bluebird Badge Project created with
BR-SS Audubon Society. The Jay Watchers’ bird club of Rye Street School in Rye
Brook built and donated 19 birdhouses and they just offered to do another
project for birds this coming year.
Help Wanted.
We need more birdhouse monitors as we increase the
number of houses. This job involves visiting the houses on your “bluebird
trail,” preferably at least once every two weeks from March to August. While
we want to record our success, the main job is to keep house sparrows out of
the birdhouses. Since they are a primary reason for the bluebird’s decline, we
cannot allow our houses to increase their population.
Please contact Sandy Morrissey (949-2531 or
sandym@cloud9.net) for more information or to volunteer.