I don't know if I've mentioned it here, but I monitor over 50 mountain bluebird nest boxes northwest of Bozeman. In bluebird lingo, we call it a "trail". Anyway, nesting season is upon us, so yesterday I went with my mentor, Mary, to do some repair and relocation of boxes on another trail. It was a glorious morning to be out with lots of birdsong in the air.
We found many of the boxes already had the beginnings of a grass nest. One box had a complete nest with one cold bluebird egg in it. This tells you that the female has just started laying eggs and hasn't begun to incubate them yet. I got a surprise when I opened the top of one box and found a female bluebird inside, sitting on a nest. Mary picked her up and saw that she already had a band on her left leg. We wrote down the number to look up where and when we had banded her. Mary placed her gently back on the nest (there were no eggs yet). It's likely that we had interrupted her as she was getting ready to lay her first egg. How rude! Bluebirds don't complain, however, and she likely got right back to business.
Tomorrow, John and I head to Billings to meet up with his sister, husband, and niece Amy to celebrate her birthday. Today, I'm going to make her a chocolate birthday cake to take over. Life is good.
Lou Ann
I'm envious of you, Lou Ann.When we have a nest nearby so often it is destroyed by other birds like crows or jays.I loved the picture of the bluebird.What color! Love, Mom
ReplyDeleteDid you check out the band on the bluebird to see if she is a returnee? I recall last year that one bluebird you had previously banded returned to another box on the trail. We checked out the great horned owl nest but don't think the eggs hatched yet.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy the birthday cake and celebration in Billings. Teri
Hi Lou Ann--happy to hear that you are out enjoying spring and writing about your work with our breath taking rocky mountain blue birds. From your comments in your journal you are doing what you love. Have fun in Billings and eat as much cake as you can! mary
ReplyDeleteI am looking forward to seeing the trail and the bluebirds when I visit!
ReplyDeletechristy