Nest Box 08

 

There are three main cavity nesting species here at the James Reserve:

 

Violet-green swallow tend to have a clutch size between 4 to 7 eggs. It will take 14 - 15 days for the eggs to hatch once the mother starts incubating the eggs. Some eggs may not hatch because one of the parents is infertile, poor incubation (common with young females with little incubating experience) or the egg shell is week. Once the eggs hatch the young birds will not fledge from the nest for 16 to 22 days. If the food source is in plenty a violet-green swallow pair can produce a 2nd brood in the same nesting season.

 

Western Bluebirds tend to have a clutch size between 4 to 6 eggs. It will take 13 - 14 days for the eggs to hatch once the mother starts incubating the eggs. Some eggs may not hatch because one of the parents is infertile, poor incubation (common with young females with little incubating experience) or the egg shell is week. Once the eggs hatch the young birds will not fledge from the nest for 17 to 22 days. If the food source is in plenty a western bluebird pair can produce a 2nd brood in the same nesting season.

 

Mountain chickadee tend to have a clutch size between 5 to 9 eggs. It will take 14 - 15 days for the eggs to hatch once the mother starts incubating the eggs which begins with the laying of the penultimate, or next to last, egg. Nests are made of moss, bark, fur, plant fibers, and feathers. Once the eggs hatch the young birds will not fledge from the nest for 19 to 21 days.

 

 

 

Nestbox08

Take Snapshot of Current Image
Java version

ARCHIVED IMAGES

 

2010 Nesting Season
Information:
   
- Nestbox 03 Start Date End Date
Nest Building - days   -
Clutch Size - days - -
Days of Incubation - days - -
Number of Eggs Hatched - eggs - -
Days to Fledge After Eggs Hatch - days - -

2009 Nesting Season
Information:
   
- Nestbox 03 Start Date End Date
Nest Building - days   -
Clutch Size - days - -
Days of Incubation - days - -
Number of Eggs Hatched - eggs - -
Days to Fledge After Eggs Hatch - days - -

 

2008 Nesting Season
Information:
2/28/08 – 4/26/08 - Violet-green swallow starts sleeping in box
4/27/08 - Violet-green swallow starts bringing in nesting material
4/30/08 – In nest box fighting between resident Violet-green swallow and Bluebird, both birds vacate the nest box

5/1/08 – Bluebird seen in nest box
Violet-green swallow returns
Fighting ensues, Bluebirds injures Violet-green swallow and leaves.
Violet-green swallow dies around 19:45
5/2/08 – Bluebird builds starts to bring in nesting material
5/3/08 – Bluebird continues to build nest on top of the remains of the Violet-green swallow, completely covering it in 6 hrs.
5/4/08 – Bluebird continues to construct nest
5/5/08 – Violet-green swallow remains are removed and the Bluebird continues to nest in box
5/6/08 – Nest building activity continues
5/12/08 - firt egg is layed
5/17/08 - sixth egg layed
5/29/08 - eggs hatch
5/30/08 - all 6 eggs hatch
At some point we lost one chick and only 5 remain.  
Western Bluebird Nestbox 8 Start Date End Date
Nest Building 10 days 5/2 5/12
Clutch Size 6 eggs 5/12 5/17
Days of Incubation 12 days 5/17 5/29
Number of Eggs Hatched 6 eggs 5/29 5/30
Days to Fledge After Eggs Hatch - days 5/29 -
Number of Birds that Fledged      
2007 Nesting Season
Information:
3/5/07 - Violet-green swallow starts sleeping in box
5/1/07 - Western bluebird visits box
5/14/07 - Active nest building begun
5/19/07 - Nest appears complete
6/5/07 - 1st egg laid
6/6/07 - 2nd egg laid
6/7/07 - 3rd egg laid
6/8/07 - 4th egg laid
6/23/07 - All 4 eggs hatch
7/18/07 - All 4 chicks leave the nest, but 1 swallow returns at night
7/22/07 - Up to 3 birds spend the night in the nest box for the next several days. The box is empty the night of the 22nd
Violet-green Swallow Nestbox 8 Start Date End Date
Nest Building 6 days 5/14 5/19
Clutch Size 4 eggs 6/5 6/8
Days of Incubation 19 days 6/5 6/23
Number of Eggs Hatched 4 eggs 6/23 6/23
Days to Fledge After Eggs Hatch 26 days 6/23 7/18
2006 Nesting Season
Information:
3/24/06 - A single violet-green swallow begins roosting in the nest box
More Information from Cornell Lab of Ornithology
4/25/06 - We noticed an increase in feathers on the floor of the box
5/08/06 - Active nest building started
5/27/06 - 1st egg
6/1/06 - 5th egg
6/15/06 - Eggs hatch
7/9/06 - All 5 chicks fledge
Violet-green Swallow Nestbox 8 Start Date End Date
Nest Building 20 days 5/8 5/27
Clutch Size 5 eggs 5/27 6/1
Days of Incubation 16 days 6/1 6/15
Number of Eggs Hatched 5 eggs 6/15 6/15
Days to Fledge After Eggs Hatch 23 days 6/15 7/9
2005 Nesting Season
Information:
From very early in April we had a male roosting in the nestbox at night
5/14/05 - Nest building finally began. The average outside temperatures had increased
5/31/05 - The first egg was laid in the lower left side of the box
6/18/05 - The first egg hatched
7/12/05 - 4 chicks fledge
7/13/05 - 5th chick fledges
Violet-green Swallow Nestbox 08A Start Date End Date
Nest Building 17 days 5/14 5/31
Clutch Size 5 eggs 5/31 6/4
Days of Incubation 19 days 5/31 6/18
Number of Eggs Hatched 5 eggs 6/18 6/19
Days to Fledge After Eggs Hatch 24 days 6/19 7/13
2004 Nesting Season
Violet-green Swallow Nestbox 08A Start Date End Date
Nest Building 32 days 5/2 6/3
Clutch Size 5 eggs 6/3 6/7
Days of Incubation 18 days 6/3 6/21
Number of Eggs Hatched 5 eggs 6/21 6/21
Days to Fledge After Eggs Hatch 24 days 6/21 7/15
2003 Nesting Season
2nd Brood
Violet-green Swallow Nestbox 08 Start Date End Date
Nest Building - - -
Clutch Size 3 eggs 6/30 7/2
Days of Incubation 13 days 7/2 7/15
Number of Eggs Hatched 3 eggs 7/15 7/17
Days to Fledge After Eggs Hatch 24 days 7/15 8/8
1st Brood
Violet-green Swallow Nestbox 08 Start Date End Date
Nest Building 22 days 5/9 5/30
Clutch Size 4 eggs 5/30 6/2
Days of Incubation 17 days 5/30 6/16
Number of Eggs Hatched 4 eggs 6/16 6/16
Days to Fledge After Eggs Hatch X 6/16 X
On 6/21 the chicks were not moving. The reason for their death is a matter of speculation. It could possibly be due to temperature extremes or parental inexperience. It appears that the parents will try again because they have not abandoned the nest.
 
Nest Box Information
Box Number 8
UTM Northing 3740879
UTM Easting 520641
GPS waypoint 33
mounting location metal pole
aspect 270°
box age 2001
design (door, material) side cedar
box floor width 6 in.
box floor length 6 in.
Box height 5 feet
hole direction 310°
hole size 1.5 in.
height of hole above floor 7.5 in.