Bluebird Trail Monitoring 2020
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Bluebirds suffered major population declines with loss of native forests. These losses have been reversed with the help of Bluebird Restoration of Wisconsin (BRAW). The organization developed successful Bluebird box designs, locations, and predator control. Although Bluebirds are the target bird for these boxes, other cavity nesting song birds in the Biocore Prairie also benefit from them, including Tree Swallows, House Wrens, Black-capped Chickadees.
The Biocore Prairie Bluebird Trail consists of 8 Bluebird Boxes, mounted on predator resistant steel poles around the Biocore Prairie. The boxes are located near walking paths as shown on the map. A Citizen Science team of 5 members of the Friends maintains the trail and monitors the boxes weekly. Data are tabulated below, with the most recent week at the top. The annual summary is submitted to BRAW. 
Bluebird parents guarding their nest box. June 17.. Photo David Liebl
Below: Photos June 11-13.
The photo gallery below shows the various nests Genevieve encountered on June 8. The report of that day is below the photos. There is much to learn about variety in nest building, even by the same species, depending on materials available.
5 Bluebird babies in Box #13. Photo Maggi Christianson
May 11, 2020. Now there are 6 eggs in BB13. Photo G. Murtaugh
4 Bluebird eggs in BB13, Photo Jeff Koziol
April 7. – Paul Noeldner provided and installed two new boxes and posts at BB14 and BB15. This new design — skylites and predator guards — should keep House sparrows away. Paul reported Bluebirds singing near BB14 and BB15. Tree swallows were near BB16.
April 3. – Jeff Koziol reporteds that one pair of Bluebirds has completed building a nest. Two other nests have been started. Way to go for a good season. Statistics of the past 2019 Biocore Bluebird Trail season:
8 boxes 8 Eastern Bluebirds fledged 14 Eastern Bluebird eggs 16 Tree Swallows fledged 5 House Wren fledged |
- Bluebird trail monitoring sheet 2020
- Bluebird trail monitoring schedule 2020 - Monitor instructions Bluebird Trail data 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 
The BRAW design Bluebird boxes are luxury boxes, considering that the cedar wood used for building them is more than 100 years old and from the attic floor of a Wisconsin home. The trail was established by the Friends in 2014. Below, click on earlier years of monitoring results.
Photo 4-8-19, Paul Noeldner
The Madison Bluebird Trails are an ongoing Madison Bird City Partners initiative. Trails and boxes are located, installed and monitored weekly using recommendations and protocols established by BRAW, the Bluebird Restoration Association of Wisconsin (braw.org). Annual summary report data is submitted to BRAW and to the Lakeshore Nature Preserve to document success and continually improve practices. Reports also go to the eBird database at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology for scientific analysis and application.
BRAW Information, Preserve Edition 2020 monitors: Primary Monitor: Jeff Koziol Monitors: Pam Fornell, Gisela Kutzbach, Genevieve Murtaugh, Laura Berger, Maggi Christianson Box Maintenance: Paul Noeldner |
