In 2024, Friends of Nockamixon State Park volunteers recorded 359 fledglings from 58 boxes, including eastern bluebirds, tree swallows, wrens and chickadees.
Our volunteers build boxes and install them throughout the park. We monitor them for activity weekly during their nesting season and record the results. Boxes are cleaned after each brood fledges.
Why? These are secondary cavity nesters and they cannot build their own cavities for nesting with their beaks or feet. They rely on us for nest boxes when they cannot find a suitable cavity in a tree.
Eastern bluebirds faced a near extinction crisis in the mid 20th century due to habitat loss, competition from invasive species and pesticide use. They have rebounded thanks to conservation efforts like ours!
We currently have a waiting list for new bluebird monitors. All sections of the bluebird trail at Nockamixon State Park are activity monitored by volunteers.
Necessary Skills
Willingness to learn about nesting habits of our cavity nesting birds, focus on observing the birds’ behavior around the boxes, noting nest construction, eff-laying, and fledging stages, while minimizing disturbance to the birds. Monitors also clean boxes between nestings. Monitors may also repair and replace boxes if able. Box building is always welcome.
Availability and Time Committment
As a cavity nesting bird monitor, you will be assigned a section of the trail within Nockamixon State Park. You will work on your own once per week at your convenience between April 1 and August 31 to monitor the nest boxes and record findings on provided forms.
“How readily the bluebirds become our friends and neighbors when we offer them suitable nesting retreats!” ~ John Burroughs
Resources:
https://extension.psu.edu/managing-habitat-for-eastern-bluebirds https://www.nabluebirdsociety.org/
https://www.nabluebirdsociety.org/PDF/NABSFactsheetMonitoring.pdf
https://abcbirds.org/bird/eastern-bluebird