Copies can be found by contacting
Editor Bill Taylor durham825@shaw.ca or Don Stiles stilesdj@shaw.ca
Monday, January 24, 2011
Weather 2010 for Calgary Area Nest-box Monitors
Half the monitors this year blamed the long wet spring (from March to September) for the poor productivity of nest-box inhabitants. My email was full of comments like Ron Reist’s “…huge number of failed TRES nests due to inclement weather (lack of food for both adults and young.)” The weather was harder on Tree Swallows (TRES) especially as they require mainly air insects. Mountain Bluebirds (MOBL) can adapt by eating ground and air insects, berries, etc. I suspect many parents simply gave up as they could find barely enough food for themselves – and even then there were more dead adults this year than usual. The cold contributed to hypothermia, and the excessive rain and hail probably caused some deaths as well. None of us enjoy opening a box to find several dead hatchlings, but there isn’t much we can do. Lynda Alderman comments that this “was a very confusing and sad year to do the route. [the Bluebirds’] struggle in June was hard to witness......rain, cold, snow, no bugs and then the swallows. Nature took its toll.”
We may not be able to help our avian friends in the cold weather, but they sometimes help each other. Shonna McLeod relates this story:
This box was occupied by a family of Mountain Bluebirds and they had successfully hatched 6 fledglings which I had previously banded the trip before.
Checking the box to see if baby Bluebirds had fledged, I was astonished to find an adult female TRES with wings spread out over the young hatchlings of another species, dead on top of them.
It was a picture I will never forget and it made me very sad to realize that the instinct of the TRES female to protect the young from the cold was intact even though the babies were not her own young.
I wonder if anyone else has ever documented anything like this.
We may not be able to help our avian friends in the cold weather, but they sometimes help each other. Shonna McLeod relates this story:
This box was occupied by a family of Mountain Bluebirds and they had successfully hatched 6 fledglings which I had previously banded the trip before.
Checking the box to see if baby Bluebirds had fledged, I was astonished to find an adult female TRES with wings spread out over the young hatchlings of another species, dead on top of them.
It was a picture I will never forget and it made me very sad to realize that the instinct of the TRES female to protect the young from the cold was intact even though the babies were not her own young.
I wonder if anyone else has ever documented anything like this.
Racoons 2010
Raccoons and some other predators also caused damage this year. Marijke Jalink-Wijbrans noted “…a raccoon discovered our trail and dined on about 47-65 young Tree Swallows.”
How can we guard against raccoons? We have been recommending driving a screw into the base of the box in order to prevent a raccoon’s pushing up the base. Even this may not be enough. We may need two screws in those areas where raccoons are prevalent. Many years ago they were only south of the border, but they are moving north! Climate change?
How can we guard against raccoons? We have been recommending driving a screw into the base of the box in order to prevent a raccoon’s pushing up the base. Even this may not be enough. We may need two screws in those areas where raccoons are prevalent. Many years ago they were only south of the border, but they are moving north! Climate change?
House Wrens 2010
House Wrens were in great number (209 nests) again this year – twice the number (105) of House Sparrows. They are protected by wildlife legislation so we can’t take aggressive measures. The best prevention is to place our boxes well away from trees and shrubs. I had one box where a wren pierced all 6 MOBL eggs and pushed them out of the box before filling it with twigs. I actually observed the normally passive MOBL pair later chasing the wren when he tried to take over another nearby box, which the Bluebirds were using as a replacement nest. Aggressive Bluebirds! What’s next?
Diane Leonhardt observed: Wrens seemed to be more aggressive this year… they destroyed several nests on our other trails.
Diane Leonhardt observed: Wrens seemed to be more aggressive this year… they destroyed several nests on our other trails.
Monitors and Boxes and Routes 2010
We have many reporting monitor teams (at least 83 people) who covered the 4,734 boxes in the Calgary Area. These include several new to the CANM this year. Welcome to Matt Ginn, Jack Borno, Susanne Maidment, Jennifer Hilborne, Cindy and Tim Jacob, Anne Gerencher, Mike Risely, Donna Wieckowski, Sue Konopnicki, Mary Jane Hunter, Mike Truch, Darrel Bender, and Colleen Rittwage. Some of those took over parts of George Loades’ trails. Those were big shoes to fill! Others picked up trails of retiring or downsizing monitors: Gail Visser, Margaret Adams, Don Conrad, and Bill Ritchie and Al Reynar (who both passed away in November 2009.) Thanks to all of you for the work you do for our birds.
Five monitors reported on two trails, and we had 64 trails covered this year. And that is probably very conservative, as some of us lump several “trails” in one report. The average length of trail was 30.4 km. To access these trails, some monitors had to drive considerable distances. The average round trip reported was 112.2 km. (Some ten trails did not report the length of the round trip.) Consider that some of us visit each box as many as 8 times a year. That mounts up to a lot of “mileage” driven in the interests of birds (“kilometrage” doesn’t sound right to me!)
The average trail, 80 boxes, contains 2.44 boxes per km. Does that seem about right for density of coverage? Seven monitors have not yet reported the length of their trails, and these trails amounted to 507 boxes. Perhaps next year we’ll have a more complete picture! I do appreciate all of you who have taken the time and trouble to measure your routes – both the length of the trail from first to last box, and the round trip from your home to cover your trail.
Five monitors reported on two trails, and we had 64 trails covered this year. And that is probably very conservative, as some of us lump several “trails” in one report. The average length of trail was 30.4 km. To access these trails, some monitors had to drive considerable distances. The average round trip reported was 112.2 km. (Some ten trails did not report the length of the round trip.) Consider that some of us visit each box as many as 8 times a year. That mounts up to a lot of “mileage” driven in the interests of birds (“kilometrage” doesn’t sound right to me!)
The average trail, 80 boxes, contains 2.44 boxes per km. Does that seem about right for density of coverage? Seven monitors have not yet reported the length of their trails, and these trails amounted to 507 boxes. Perhaps next year we’ll have a more complete picture! I do appreciate all of you who have taken the time and trouble to measure your routes – both the length of the trail from first to last box, and the round trip from your home to cover your trail.
Monitor Comments 2010
Monitor Comments
I thank all monitors who took the time to send some comments and pictures of their routes. It is very enjoyable to read these, and I share some comments with you:
Wim and Marijke Jalink-Wijbrans:
This year’s raccoon was so strong he pushed up the bottom … and bent the screw!
At the start of the season, we found 9 dead adults in boxes, more than before…
Five of the 6 female MOBL had returned to the same nest as last year.
Photo Bill Taylor
Ron Reist
starting this year I am pairing all boxes that have a history of MOBL use
and reducing to singles all boxes which had only TRES history - hoping to
increase my MOBL success rate.
Mallard eggs near TRES box photo Linda Wiggins
Brian Exton
I had only one second brood instead of multiple second broods as I have had in the past.
Diane Leonhardt
One trail will be moved as the owners decided to pasture their horses on the land we were using. Is there any proven deterrent for horses?
The birds seemed to be playing musical nest-boxes on one portion where the BB and TS kept switching boxes for about 3 weeks.
Jean Dunn notes this happy occasion:
I did have one nice experience the last day I checked the trail on Sept. 2nd and that was to see two "flocks" of young bluebirds gathering on the telephone wires as if to say good-bye to the area. They took off after I had stopped and counted them and it was a nice good-bye for me too.
I thank all monitors who took the time to send some comments and pictures of their routes. It is very enjoyable to read these, and I share some comments with you:
Wim and Marijke Jalink-Wijbrans:
This year’s raccoon was so strong he pushed up the bottom … and bent the screw!
At the start of the season, we found 9 dead adults in boxes, more than before…
Five of the 6 female MOBL had returned to the same nest as last year.
Photo Bill Taylor
Ron Reist
starting this year I am pairing all boxes that have a history of MOBL use
and reducing to singles all boxes which had only TRES history - hoping to
increase my MOBL success rate.
Mallard eggs near TRES box photo Linda Wiggins
Brian Exton
I had only one second brood instead of multiple second broods as I have had in the past.
Diane Leonhardt
One trail will be moved as the owners decided to pasture their horses on the land we were using. Is there any proven deterrent for horses?
The birds seemed to be playing musical nest-boxes on one portion where the BB and TS kept switching boxes for about 3 weeks.
Jean Dunn notes this happy occasion:
I did have one nice experience the last day I checked the trail on Sept. 2nd and that was to see two "flocks" of young bluebirds gathering on the telephone wires as if to say good-bye to the area. They took off after I had stopped and counted them and it was a nice good-bye for me too.
Banding Highlights 2010
MOBL recoveries were similar to last year at 158, and TRES recoveries were down slightly at 215 from 233 last year. See Tables 1 and 2 – Summary of 2010 Recoveries for distance moved, whether banded as an adult or young, and age distribution.
Notes - MOBL = Mountain Bluebird. TRES = Tree Swallow. The term recovery used below is a generic term for birds that are found dead or alive. Most of the birds listed will have been recaptured alive and released.
Long Distance Bluebird Recoveries
Ron Reist recovered 2231-92630 on his East Olds trail, which was banded by Pres Winter 6 miles west of Viking, AB as a young in 2009. It moved 196 km (121 mi) SW. This is the second MOBL recaptured by Ron that was banded by Pres Winter. The first was in 2006.
Don Conrad recovered 2231-26410 on his trail west of Longview, which was banded as a young in 2009 by Ray Harris north of Pincher Creek. It moved about 100 km (62 mi) N.
Photo Bill Taylor
Two others, which moved significant distances were:
2291-35531 recovered by Walt Glanville E of Water Valley, banded by Ron Reist as a young in 2008 E of Olds, moved about 60 km SW.
2261-76265 recovered by Shonna McLeod on Hwy 773 SW of Calgary, banded by Don Conrad as a young in 2007 SW of Nanton, moved about 59 Km NNW.
Long Distance Tree Swallow Recoveries
Don Stiles recovered 2221-27598 on his East Didsbury trail. This bird was banded by Russ Dawson west of Prince George, BC. It had stopped 667 km (413 mi) SE of its banding location. Unfortunately, the number could not be checked the next week as a different female was the one sitting on the newly hatched young.
Russ Dawson is a biology professor at the University of Northern BC. He and his graduate students have four study areas west of Prince George, BC. They study various aspects of reproductive ecology of birds, including mate choice, parasitism, etc. He also has a study area for Mountain Bluebirds southwest of Williams Lake, BC.
Dick Stauffer recovered 2311-99146 in a nest-box on the Olds Golf Course. It was banded by Don Conrad west of Longview as a young in 2008. It had moved 140 km (87 mi) NNE, which is from the southernmost trail on Calgary Area Nest-box Monitors to one of the northernmost. Fortunately, this number was rechecked by Dick.
Walter Gruszecki recovered 1921-96110 on his trail west of Innisfail, which was found to be a bird banded by Hardy Pletz as a young in 2008 near Millet, AB. It had moved 130 km (80 mi) S.
2311-89537 was recaptured by Ron Reist on his East Olds trail. This bird was banded as a young in 2008 by George Loades on his Jumping Pound trail, and moved about 98.5 km (61 mi) NE.
2311-87395 was recaptured by Ray Woods on his Elkton trail west of Didsbury. It was banded by Barry Trakalo as a young in 2008 NE of Millarville, and moved about 90.5 km (56 mi) N.
This makes 5 TRES recovered at distances greater than 80 km (50 mi), a record for Calgary Area Nest-box Monitors. Usually we have only one or two.
Nancy Davis recovered TRES 2311-87229 on her Sibbald Creek trail (Hwy 68). It had been banded as an adult by Bill Taylor in 2009 N of Okotoks, and moved 42 km (26 mi) NW. This is a considerable distance for a bird banded as an adult to move.
We learned in 2010 of a TRES recaptured in a mist net at Inglewood Bird Sanctuary in 2009 by Bill Taylor. This bird had been banded as a young in 2007 in the Jumping Pound area by George Loades, and moved about 37 km E. This is the second time we have been involved with a TRES at Inglewood Bird Sanctuary. In 2008 a TRES recaptured there was banded by Pat Mitchell as a young in 2005 in the Big Hill Springs area, and moved 37 km SE.
Oldest Birds
The oldest bird recovered this year was a TRES banded by Isabelle Orr as an adult in 2004 making it the only 7-year old bird recovered.
There were 3 each of 6 year old MOBL and TRES recovered.
The 3 MOBL were recovered by Don Stiles, Andrew Holder, and Ray Harris.
The 3 TRES were recovered by Don Stiles, Ray Woods and Bill Taylor.
Bill Taylor had three 5-year old TRES recovered and Nancy Davis had two, both banded as young in 2005 on George Loades’ adjacent Jumping Pound Trail by Christi Beckmann. Christa was doing a research project on that trail from 2003 to 2005.
Ron Reist and Dick Stauffer each had 5-year old MOBLs recovered. Ron’s bird was reported recaptured in the same box 5 years in a row, and Dick’s was recaptured in 2007, 2008 and 2010.
8 of the 14 older birds listed above have records of additional recaptures since being banded.
Site Fidelity
MOBL 1951-73812 was recaptured by Shonna McLeod in the adjacent box to where it was first recaptured in 2009. It had been banded as a young in 2007 by Brian Keeling west of Stavely. The first time it moved 73 km NNW.
MOBL 2201-46568 was banded by Marijke Jalink-Wijbrans as a young in 2006. In 2007 it moved 13 km NE to George Loades trail. In 2010 it moved SW about 16 km to Lenora Brown’s trail. It is unusual to find a bird that moved farther the second time.
Dick Stauffer recaptured a TRES banded as a young in 2009 that returned to the same box in 2010. This is unusual but it has happened before.
Same Year Recoveries
Ron Reist reported a recovery of MOBL 2231-14103 on June 16. It was originally banded by Don Stiles on June 1. It had moved 12.6 km (7.8 mi) NNW after its first nest failed. This is a considerable distance for movement within a single year.
Dick Stauffer reported a male TRES banded on June 24 that had moved to the adjacent box on July 15 with a different banded female.
Photo of blowfly larva by Steve Herrero
Cross trail recoveries of interest
Barry Trakalo again reported most of his recoveries were cross trail recoveries as follows: 7 MOBL and 1 TRES. He also had 1 MOBL recovery and 2 TRES recoveries of birds banded on his own trail. This pattern of mostly cross trail recoveries has been noticed on Barry’s trail in recent years as his trail is surrounded by other trails where monitors band their birds.
All of the 5 TRES recovered on Nancy Davis trail were banded on other trails, mostly on George Loades’ trail adjacent to the east. She recovered one of these on her trail in 2008.
Pat Mitchell recaptured 3 TRES that were banded on Isabelle Orr’s trail adjacent to the east. She recaptured the first bird banded by Isabelle in 2009 and in 2008 (both as adults), and a young banded in 2007.
It was noted that TRES on cross trails this year, recaptures of birds that were originally banded as young were mainly banded as young in 2008. For TRES banded as young the numbers were: 2009 – 3, 2008 – 15, 2007 – 4, 2006 – 1 and 2005 – 1, Total 24.
The reason for this is not known.
A more expected distribution was noted for MOBL. For MOBL banded as young the numbers were: 2009 – 16, 2008 – 5, 2007 – 4, 2006 – 1 Total 26.
Ron Reist TRES recaptures
Ron Reist recaptured 69 TRES, all banded as adults, a number is well ahead of any other bander. One of the reasons for this is that he banded more adults than young in the past two years. The year banded and number recaptured for these birds was: 2009 – 46, 2008 – 16 and 2007 – 7. 19 of these were recovered in the same box where they were banded (or the adjacent box of a pair). Most of the others were recovered within 1.6 km of where they were banded. Only 4 moved distances greater than 5 km.
Notes - MOBL = Mountain Bluebird. TRES = Tree Swallow. The term recovery used below is a generic term for birds that are found dead or alive. Most of the birds listed will have been recaptured alive and released.
Long Distance Bluebird Recoveries
Ron Reist recovered 2231-92630 on his East Olds trail, which was banded by Pres Winter 6 miles west of Viking, AB as a young in 2009. It moved 196 km (121 mi) SW. This is the second MOBL recaptured by Ron that was banded by Pres Winter. The first was in 2006.
Don Conrad recovered 2231-26410 on his trail west of Longview, which was banded as a young in 2009 by Ray Harris north of Pincher Creek. It moved about 100 km (62 mi) N.
Photo Bill Taylor
Two others, which moved significant distances were:
2291-35531 recovered by Walt Glanville E of Water Valley, banded by Ron Reist as a young in 2008 E of Olds, moved about 60 km SW.
2261-76265 recovered by Shonna McLeod on Hwy 773 SW of Calgary, banded by Don Conrad as a young in 2007 SW of Nanton, moved about 59 Km NNW.
Long Distance Tree Swallow Recoveries
Don Stiles recovered 2221-27598 on his East Didsbury trail. This bird was banded by Russ Dawson west of Prince George, BC. It had stopped 667 km (413 mi) SE of its banding location. Unfortunately, the number could not be checked the next week as a different female was the one sitting on the newly hatched young.
Russ Dawson is a biology professor at the University of Northern BC. He and his graduate students have four study areas west of Prince George, BC. They study various aspects of reproductive ecology of birds, including mate choice, parasitism, etc. He also has a study area for Mountain Bluebirds southwest of Williams Lake, BC.
Dick Stauffer recovered 2311-99146 in a nest-box on the Olds Golf Course. It was banded by Don Conrad west of Longview as a young in 2008. It had moved 140 km (87 mi) NNE, which is from the southernmost trail on Calgary Area Nest-box Monitors to one of the northernmost. Fortunately, this number was rechecked by Dick.
Walter Gruszecki recovered 1921-96110 on his trail west of Innisfail, which was found to be a bird banded by Hardy Pletz as a young in 2008 near Millet, AB. It had moved 130 km (80 mi) S.
2311-89537 was recaptured by Ron Reist on his East Olds trail. This bird was banded as a young in 2008 by George Loades on his Jumping Pound trail, and moved about 98.5 km (61 mi) NE.
2311-87395 was recaptured by Ray Woods on his Elkton trail west of Didsbury. It was banded by Barry Trakalo as a young in 2008 NE of Millarville, and moved about 90.5 km (56 mi) N.
This makes 5 TRES recovered at distances greater than 80 km (50 mi), a record for Calgary Area Nest-box Monitors. Usually we have only one or two.
Nancy Davis recovered TRES 2311-87229 on her Sibbald Creek trail (Hwy 68). It had been banded as an adult by Bill Taylor in 2009 N of Okotoks, and moved 42 km (26 mi) NW. This is a considerable distance for a bird banded as an adult to move.
We learned in 2010 of a TRES recaptured in a mist net at Inglewood Bird Sanctuary in 2009 by Bill Taylor. This bird had been banded as a young in 2007 in the Jumping Pound area by George Loades, and moved about 37 km E. This is the second time we have been involved with a TRES at Inglewood Bird Sanctuary. In 2008 a TRES recaptured there was banded by Pat Mitchell as a young in 2005 in the Big Hill Springs area, and moved 37 km SE.
Oldest Birds
The oldest bird recovered this year was a TRES banded by Isabelle Orr as an adult in 2004 making it the only 7-year old bird recovered.
There were 3 each of 6 year old MOBL and TRES recovered.
The 3 MOBL were recovered by Don Stiles, Andrew Holder, and Ray Harris.
The 3 TRES were recovered by Don Stiles, Ray Woods and Bill Taylor.
Bill Taylor had three 5-year old TRES recovered and Nancy Davis had two, both banded as young in 2005 on George Loades’ adjacent Jumping Pound Trail by Christi Beckmann. Christa was doing a research project on that trail from 2003 to 2005.
Ron Reist and Dick Stauffer each had 5-year old MOBLs recovered. Ron’s bird was reported recaptured in the same box 5 years in a row, and Dick’s was recaptured in 2007, 2008 and 2010.
8 of the 14 older birds listed above have records of additional recaptures since being banded.
Site Fidelity
MOBL 1951-73812 was recaptured by Shonna McLeod in the adjacent box to where it was first recaptured in 2009. It had been banded as a young in 2007 by Brian Keeling west of Stavely. The first time it moved 73 km NNW.
MOBL 2201-46568 was banded by Marijke Jalink-Wijbrans as a young in 2006. In 2007 it moved 13 km NE to George Loades trail. In 2010 it moved SW about 16 km to Lenora Brown’s trail. It is unusual to find a bird that moved farther the second time.
Dick Stauffer recaptured a TRES banded as a young in 2009 that returned to the same box in 2010. This is unusual but it has happened before.
Same Year Recoveries
Ron Reist reported a recovery of MOBL 2231-14103 on June 16. It was originally banded by Don Stiles on June 1. It had moved 12.6 km (7.8 mi) NNW after its first nest failed. This is a considerable distance for movement within a single year.
Dick Stauffer reported a male TRES banded on June 24 that had moved to the adjacent box on July 15 with a different banded female.
Photo of blowfly larva by Steve Herrero
Cross trail recoveries of interest
Barry Trakalo again reported most of his recoveries were cross trail recoveries as follows: 7 MOBL and 1 TRES. He also had 1 MOBL recovery and 2 TRES recoveries of birds banded on his own trail. This pattern of mostly cross trail recoveries has been noticed on Barry’s trail in recent years as his trail is surrounded by other trails where monitors band their birds.
All of the 5 TRES recovered on Nancy Davis trail were banded on other trails, mostly on George Loades’ trail adjacent to the east. She recovered one of these on her trail in 2008.
Pat Mitchell recaptured 3 TRES that were banded on Isabelle Orr’s trail adjacent to the east. She recaptured the first bird banded by Isabelle in 2009 and in 2008 (both as adults), and a young banded in 2007.
It was noted that TRES on cross trails this year, recaptures of birds that were originally banded as young were mainly banded as young in 2008. For TRES banded as young the numbers were: 2009 – 3, 2008 – 15, 2007 – 4, 2006 – 1 and 2005 – 1, Total 24.
The reason for this is not known.
A more expected distribution was noted for MOBL. For MOBL banded as young the numbers were: 2009 – 16, 2008 – 5, 2007 – 4, 2006 – 1 Total 26.
Ron Reist TRES recaptures
Ron Reist recaptured 69 TRES, all banded as adults, a number is well ahead of any other bander. One of the reasons for this is that he banded more adults than young in the past two years. The year banded and number recaptured for these birds was: 2009 – 46, 2008 – 16 and 2007 – 7. 19 of these were recovered in the same box where they were banded (or the adjacent box of a pair). Most of the others were recovered within 1.6 km of where they were banded. Only 4 moved distances greater than 5 km.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
