Below are the 7-25-2022 Weekly Bluebird Trail Reports from the following Parks:
Balm-Boyette Preserve: 7 fledglings (5 CC, 2 TM)
Hunter's Green Park: 24 BB fledglings, 8 BB eggs
Lake Park: 88 fledglings (79 BB, 3 CC, 6 CW), 3 BB chicks, 4 BB eggs
Lettuce Lake Park: 7 fledglings (5 BB, 2 CC)
Sargeant's Park: 5 BB fledglings
Flatwoods Park Bluebird Trail: 161 fledglings (140 BB, 18 CC, 3 TM), with 11 BB eggs remaining. See attached spreadsheet for details.
It was another hot day on the Flatwoods Park Bluebird Trail. The nesting season is slowly reaching its end and we have only 3 active nests remaining. As always, toward then end of the season, the mothers' calcium is becoming depleted, and because of this and other factors, the eggs and chicks are usually not as healthy and fewer survive. We found dead chicks in box F9, and 2 dead, plus 2 unhealthy chicks in box F29. We also removed abandoned nests in boxes F27 and F47. Because we had a little extra time today, Sherry and I reinforced the predator guard on box F31, where we recently caught and released a Corn Snake that had tried to get through the guard, but got caught. We hope we have devised a way that the predator guard protects the chicks from the snakes, but leaves the snakes unharmed.
Even though it was really hot, we still saw quite a lot of birds including a Ruby-throated Hummingbird, several Little Blue Herons, a Wood Stork, an Osprey, a pair of Wood Ducks, an Anhinga, a Palm Warbler, Northern Cardinals, Black and Turkey Vultures, a Red-shouldered Hawk, Common Ground and Mourning Doves, White Ibis, a Pileated Woodpecker, a Great Crested Flycatcher, a Tufted Titmouse, a Carolina Wren, a Brown Thrasher, and an Eastern Towhee. This is the fourth week in a row that we've seen a Gopher Tortoise.
A lot of plants, like the Simpson's-Stopper (Myrcianthes fragrans) are beginning to get their berries, which are much enjoyed by wildlife, particularly in the fall. Partridge-Peas (Chamaecrista fasciculata) are popping up everywhere and they are the host plant of the Little Sulphur Butterflies. (Photos of highlighted wildlife and plants are in the Flatwoods Park Photos Attachment).
Mary
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