Hello Wild Side Readers,
How many of you are looking forward to the nest box monitoring season?? I have been monitoring bluebird nest boxes at Sharon Woods MetroParks for over 20 years now (wow, that is a long time) and it’s always been a highlight of my year. See a few of my favorite pictures below from my monitoring times.
Eastern bluebird nest.
Female eastern bluebird building her nest.
Eastern bluebird eggs are bright blue.
This past weekend, I had the honor of presenting at the 2024 Ohio Bluebird Society Conference. If you have never been to this conference, and you have an interest in birds, I highly recommend it. I met so many folks who are passionately invested in bird conservation – some who have dedicated over 40 years of their lives to monitoring bluebird boxes! I was asked to present a session on several Ohio birds that, like our bluebirds, are also cavity nesters. The slides from my presentation are below, along with several resources I referenced during my talk. I hope it helps and my thanks for all you are doing to help our birds!
Presentation Slides – Woodland Secondary Cavity Nesting Birds
Nest box specifications and placement recommendation for screech owls, wood ducks, and more – HERE.
Webinar on Deadwood for Wildlife (and creating and maintaining snags)
Bringing the Snag into the Urban Forest (Arborists and Wildlife: Retaining Trees for Wildlife Habitat) – Article by Brian French
Resources on What to Plant:
- OSU Extension Fact Sheet: Native Trees: Creating Living Landscapes for Birds, Butterflies, Bees, and Other Beneficials
- OSU Extension Fact Sheet: Native Shrubs: Creating Living Landscapes for Birds, Butterflies, Bees, and Other Beneficials
- OSU Plant-by-Numbers Garden Plans for Butterflies & Moths, Specialist Bees, and Bumble Bees
- Also, check out this post on Landscaping for Wildlife!
Websites for more info:
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s NestWatch
- Bet Zimmerman Smith’s Sialis Website
- North American Bluebird Society
- Ohio Bluebird Society
- American Bird Conservation – Info on Preventing Bird Collisions
Happy Birding!
Marne Titchenell
Wildlife Program Director, OSU Extension
School of Environment and Natural Resources
College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences