Ok, Blue Bird fans, it’s Week #17 update time for the Mississippi Gulf Coast Blue Bird Program in the city of Long Beach, on the 45-acre campus of the South Mississippi Regional Center!
So, here is what ‘Master Naturalist’ buddy John and I found today, June 27, 2008, walking around campus during a Friday morning, taking the Blue Bird Trail nesting survey.
There are dozens of gray squirrels on the SMRC Campus.
Here are this week’s Survey results:
Box #1- Empty nesting box, no activity. – Last week: Empty nesting box, no activity.
Box #2- 3 Blue Bird babies. – Last week: 3 Blue Bird babies, 2 Blue Bird eggs.
Box #3- Empty nesting box, no activity. – Last week: Empty nesting box, no activity.
Box #4- 4 Blue Bird eggs. – Last week: 5 Blue Bird eggs.
Box #5- Empty nesting box, no activity. – Last week: Empty nesting box, no activity.
Box #6- 3 Blue Bird eggs. – Last week: New Blue Bird nest, 1 Blue Bird egg.
Box #7- Empty nesting box, no activity. – Last week: 4 Blue Bird babies flew the nest on Friday afternoon.
The Killdeer babies on the campus have really grown during the past week, and almost look like their parents now.
Box #8- Empty nesting box, no activity. – Last week: Empty nesting box, no activity.
Box #9- 4 Blue Bird babies flew the nest. – Last week: 4 Blue Bird babies.
Box #10- Empty nesting box, no activity. – Last week: Empty nesting box, no activity.
Box #11- Few old straw. – Last week: Few straw, no activity.
One of the Killdeer parents is always near the babies.
Box #12- 5 Blue Bird eggs. – Last week: e Blue Bird eggs.
Box #13- Empty Nesting box, no activity. – Last week: Empty nesting box, no activity.
During the past several days, ‘pop-up’ thunderstorms have been very common on the Mississippi Gulf Coast area, and yesterday, provided a very heavy rain storm over the SMRC Campus.
Totals This Week: 12 Blue Bird eggs, 3 Blue Bird babies, 4 Blue Bird babies flew the nest, 0 sterile eggs,
7 empty nesting boxes, 3 Killdeer babies.
Totals Last Week: 12 Blue Bird eggs, 7 Blue Bird babies, 0 Sterile eggs, 7 empty nesting boxes, 4 Blue Bird babies flew the nest, 3 Killdeer babies.
Master Naturalist buddy John continues to be very enthused about the activity, and reports that during the last 17 weeks of the program, 36 Blue Bird babies and 6 Chickadee babies have flown from their nests, and we also have 3 Killdeer babies who have left their ground nest in one of the grassy areas on campus, and have joined their parents in feeding on the ground, during this first season of the new Blue Bird Trail.
The weather today was partly cloudy, light wind and about 88 degrees.
Another update will be along next weekend.
I wanna take that first squirrel home with me. Let’s add to the zoo, why not.
(Still thinking of you – and happy (one day early)anniversary, too.)
It was so strange seeing those squirrels when we were down there last weekend…all of the squirrels here are brown. Enjoyed the update!
Oh those baby killdeers–every year now we have eggs, but have yet to see them hatch out.