2009 – Week #11 Mississippi Gulf Coast Blue Bird Trail Update

Hello again, fellow Blue Bird enthusiasts, and welcome to Week #11 of the 2009 Mississippi Gulf Coast Blue Bird Trail Survey in Long Beach.

Emily, the Tree-Climbing Wonder Dog, walks among our ginormous crop of Gulf Coast Dandelions, during this morning’s Blue Bird Trail Survey.

It’s been another busy week of activity on here on the Long Beach Blue Bird Trail, with 13 new Blue Bird eggs and another completed next found in the nesting boxes this morning, during the survey of the second hatch of the season. The new eggs bring the current second hatch total to 21 eggs now in the nests.

Master Naturalist Buddy John commented during this morning’s Trail Survey that the daily air temperatures on the Trail are now warm enough to incubate the Blue Bird eggs, without the mother bird even sitting on the eggs.

Nesting Box #2 has its second batch of eggs this season.

Here are the results of Friday’s Blue Bird Trail Survey – May 15, 2009:

Nesting Box #1 – Full Blue Bird nest built. – Last Week: 1 Blue Bird baby flew from the nest, 3 sterile Blue Bird eggs confirmed, removed old nest, cleaned box.

Nesting Box #2 – 4 Blue Bird eggs. – Last Week: New Blue Bird nest completed, 3 Blue Bird eggs.

Nesting Box #3 – Nest built, no new activity. – Last Week: New Blue Bird nest built.

Nesting Box #4 had 3 new Blue Bird eggs when surveyed this morning.

Nesting Box #4 – 3 Blue Bird eggs. – Last Week: New Blue Bird nest built.

Nesting Box #5 – Empty box, no activity. – Last Week: Empty box, no activity.

Nesting Box #6 – New Blue Bird nest built. – Last Week: Some new straw in box.

Nesting Box #7 – 4 Blue Bird eggs. – Last Week: New Blue Bird nest complete, 3 Blue Bird eggs.

Several new Cross Vine, or Trumpeter Vine plants came into bright bloom this week.

Nesting Box #8 – Some straw in box. – Last Week: Some new straw in box.

Nesting Box #9 – Empty box, no activity. – Last Week: Empty box, no activity.

Nesting Box #10 – Empty box, no activity. – Last Week: Empty box, no activity.

Emily loves going along on the Friday morning Trail Surveys.

Nesting Box #11 – 5 Blue Bird eggs. – Last Week: New Blue Bird nest built, 1 Blue Bird egg.

Nesting Box #12 – Some straw in box. – Last Week: Some new straw in box.

Nesting Box #13 – 5 Blue Bird eggs. – Last Week: New Blue Bird nest built, 1 Blue Bird egg.

Master Naturalist Buddy John and Emily head back to the office after checking the final nesting box on the Trail this morning.

Season totals so far include: 28 Blue Bird babies have flown from nests, 5 eggs have been sterile, and 21 new eggs are in nests incubating. With three additional nests now being complete, without eggs yet, we expect to see the total new egg count increase during next week’s Trail Survey.

Have a great week!

Oh yes: only 16 more days remaining until the 2009 Atlantic/Gulf Coast Hurricane Season begins. Lucky us…

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2009 – Week #7: Mississippi Gulf Coast Blue Bird Trail Update

Hello again, fellow Blue Bird enthusiasts, and welcome to the April 17, 2009, Week #7, of the Mississippi Gulf Coast Blue Bird trail Survey, on the campus of the South Mississippi Regional Center, in Long beach.

It was good this week to be able to conduct the Blue Bird Trail Survey with Master Naturalist Buddy John and Emily, the Tree-Climbing Wonder Dog. John’s leg is feeling much better these days, as it responds to medications and exercise.

A female Blue Bird sits on a fence near nesting box #9 Friday, on the Mississippi Gulf Coast Blue Bird Trail, in Long Beach.

This week’s Survey found our Blue Bird baby and egg numbers the same as that of the April 10 Survey of last Friday, with 26 babies and 7 eggs.

Master Naturalist Buddy John noted after this morning’s Survey, that most of the Blue Bird babies currently in the Trail’s nesting boxes, will most likely have flown the nests by next week’s Survey. Thus, we will have a more accurate count of how many babies have actually hatched and flown, and how many of the original eggs are sterile and still in the nests.

The Blue Bird babies in nesting box #2, as seen this morning in this image, are very large and will be flying from the box any day now.

And, the 4 eggs currently under incubation in nesting box #1, should have all hatched by next Friday, hopefully increasing the baby numbers this season from 26 babies, to 30.

Once all the babies in a nest have flown, we will remove the old nest and clean the box, readying it for the female Blue Bird to begin building a new nest and lay a another batch of eggs.

The Blue Bird babies in nesting box #4 are also large now, and soon will fly the nest.

In the 2008 Week #7 Trail Survey, we had 16 Blue Bird babies in the nest or already flown, and 12 Blue Bird eggs in the nests. So, this year, we are 10 babies ahead of last year at this time in the season, a healthy increase.

Here are the results of today’s Trail Survey – April 17, 2009:

Here are the 5 large babies in nesting box #6, as photographed this morning.

Nest #1 – 4 Blue Bird eggs. – Last Week: 4 Blue Bird eggs.

Nest #2 – 3 large Blue Bird babies – will probably fly the next before next Friday’s Survey; 2 Blue Bird eggs (suspect these are sterile eggs). – Last Week: 3 Blue Bird babies, 2 Blue Bird eggs.

Nest #3 – Empty box, no activity. – Last Week: Empty box, no activity.

The babies in nesting box #7 are also near to flying the nest.

Nest #4 – 5 large Blue Bird babies, will probably fly the nest before next Friday’s Survey. – Last Week: 5 Blue Bird eggs.

Nest #5 – Nest built, no eggs yet. Removed nest – cleaned box. – Last Week: Nest built, no eggs yet.

Nest #6 – 5 large Blue Bird babies, will probably fly the nest before next Friday’s Survey. – Last Week: 5 Blue Bird babies.

The large Blue Bird babies in nesting box #8, this morning. One can easily see the blue feathers growing on the babies.

Nest #7 – 4 large Blue Bird babies – will probably fly the nest before next Friday’s Survey, 1 Blue Bird egg (suspect this is a sterile egg). – Last Week: 4 Blue Bird babies, 1 Blue Bird egg.

Nest #8 – 5 large Blue Bird babies, will probably fly the nest before next Friday’s Survey. – Last Week: 5 Blue Bird babies.

Nest #9 – Nest built, no eggs yet. Removed nest – cleaned box. – Last Week: Nest built, no eggs yet.

Nest #10 – Empty box, no activity. – Last Week: Empty box, no activity.

The babies in nesting box #12, are a little smaller and younger than the other babies on the Trail. This nesting box was 6″ from having water in it just two weeks ago, during the heavy rains and flooding on the Trail.

Nest #11 – Some straw in box, no activity. Removed old straw – cleaned box. – Last Week: Some straw in box.

Nest #12 – 4 small Blue Bird babies. – Last Week: 4 small Blue Bird babies.

This little fellow was hanging around this afternoon near nesting box #9, and appears to be an Eastern Kingbird.

Nest #13 – Nest built, no eggs yet. Removed nest – cleaned box. – Last Week: Nest built, no eggs yet.

And here is something nice to send you away with this week: a large growth of beautiful blue Spiderwort, which is growing on soil on the lower part of campus, which was under 5′ of water two weeks ago. Nice comeback, huh?

Have a great week!

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2009 – Week #6: Mississippi Gulf Coast Blue Bird Trail Update: MORE BLUE BIRD BABIES!

The Friday, April 10, 2009 Blue Bird Trail Survey results shows additional new Blue Bird activity, as after reporting a total of 22 Blue Bird babies in the Trail nesting boxes last week, we now have 26 hungry little Blue Bird babies and 7 Blue Bird eggs, including 2 new eggs, in the Trail nesting boxes!

Master Naturalist Buddy John shown checking one of the Blue Bird Trail nesting boxes during a Spring 2008 Tail Survey.

Master Naturalist Buddy John and Emily, the Tree-Climbing Wonder Dog, completed the April 10th Trail Survey by themselves, as your blog author missed his first Trail Survey in two years, being in Perdido Key, FL with friends Maggie (of Maggie Dammit) and spouse Dave, and their girls, on a much-needed, four day vacation getaway.

Here are this week’s results from the Survey taken Friday, April 10, 2009:

Nest #1 – 4 Blue Bird eggs. – Last Week: 2 Blue Bird eggs.

Nest #2 – 3 Blue Bird babies, 2 Blue Bird eggs (suspect these are sterile eggs). – Last Week: 3 Blue Bird babies, 2 Blue Bird eggs.

Nest #3 – Empty box, no activity. – Last Week: Empty box, no activity.

Nest #4 – 5 Blue Bird babies. – Last Week: 5 Blue Bird eggs.

Nest #5 – Nest built, no eggs yet. – Last Week: Nest built, no eggs yet.

Nest #6 – 5 Blue Bird babies. – Last Week: 5 Blue Bird eggs.

Nest #7 – 4 Blue Bird babies, 1 Blue Bird egg (suspect this is a sterile egg). – Last Week: 4 Blue Bird babies, 1 Blue Bird egg.

Nest #8 – 5 Blue Bird babies. – Last Week: 5 Blue Bird eggs.

Nest #9 – Nest built, no eggs yet. – Last Week: Nest built, no eggs yet.

Nest #10 – Empty box, no activity. – Last Week: Empty box, no activity.

Nest #11 – Some straw in box, no activity. – Last Week: Some straw in box.

Nest #12 – 4 Blue Bird eggs. – Last Week: 4 Blue Bird eggs.

Nest #13 – Nest built, no eggs yet. – Last Week: Nest built, no eggs yet.

Master Naturalist Buddy John commented after the survey that if there are no changes in the empty nests in nesting boxes 5, 9, 11 and 13, by this Friday’s survey, the old nests in these boxes will be removed, in the hopes that new nesting pairs will begin building new nests.

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2009 – Week #4: Mississippi Gulf Coast Blue Bird Trail Update: FLOOD WATERS!

Note: The last couple of days heavy rains here on the Mississippi Gulf Coast have changed the look of the north side of the Blue Bird Trail. The following images are from Saturday morning, after two days of heavy rains. The survey was taken Friday morning, when there was only about 6″-12″ of flood water on the north, lower portion of the campus.

Master Naturalist Buddy John is out of the hospital this past week and at home resting, healing and hopefully catching up on the sleep he didn’t get while in the last weekend hospital.

As you would expect, Emily, the Tree-Climbing Wonder Dog, was very happy to see her master back home!

Recuperating at home, John and Emily were not able to go on the Blue Bird Trail survey Friday morning, and it was just as well, as the north part of the Trail was mostly under 6″-12″ of water from all the rain we received during Thursday night’s overnight deluge in the Long Beach area.

Then, overnight, Friday evening, after I had taken the survey, we received over 7 inches of rain here in the Long Beach area, on top of the large amount we received early Friday, while our neighbors in Biloxi, received over 11 inches of rain overnight last evening!

So, it’s a wee bit wet outside this Saturday morning, here on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, as I write this post, including having the entire north, lower-lying portion of our campus, under five feet of flood water.

It’s a good thing that we installed the nesting boxes six feet off the ground! And, again, it is a good thing that I did the survey Friday morning, when there was only 6″-12″ of flood water on part of the trail, instead of waiting to do it Saturday morning, when there was five feet of flood water there!

Nesting box #6, is located next to the entrance drive to our campus Maintenance complex. The Maintenance shop is shown in the background.

Friday morning, then, with the able assistance of my fellow Maintenance worker, Russell, who cares for the entire grounds on the 45-acre campus where we work days, we hopped on the Ford tractor and trailer, and cruised out into the slightly flooded north part of the campus to check the two remaining nesting boxes that I wasn’t able to walk to earlier (I didn’t have boots), that were in about a foot of water. Thanks, Russell!

The Blue Birds on the Trail continued to be active during the past week, as 6 new Blue Bird eggs were recorded during the Friday survey, bringing the total number of eggs in the nesting boxes to 29, compared with 23 last Friday.

The two nests which had 4 eggs last week, both increased to 5, making four nests containing 5 eggs. The #12 nest female laid 4 new eggs this week, and John expects that this number will probably increase to 5 by next Friday’s survey.

In activity at the #1 nesting box, a female Blue Bird has taken over the nesting box, from whatever bird had formerly built a complete moss nest in the box. John speculated that perhaps a Chickadee or Nuthatch female had built the moss nest.

Nesting box #9.

Next week’s survey should be interesting, as it is possible that there will be some Blue Bird babies hatching during the coming week.

Here are the complete Blue Bird Trail Survey results for this week, on Friday, March 27, 2009:

Nest #1 – New Blue Bird straw nest built on top of the moss nest; Momma Blue Bird took over the nesting box! – Last Week: Moss nest built.

Nest #2 – 5 Blue Bird eggs. – Last Week: 5 Blue Bird eggs.

Nest #3 – Empty box, no activity. – Last Week: Empty box – no activity.

Nest #4 – 5 Blue Bird eggs. – Last Week: 5 Blue Bird eggs.

Nest #5 – Nest built, no eggs yet. – Last Week: Nest built, no eggs yet.

Nesting box #12.

Nest #6 – 5 Blue Bird eggs. – Last Week: 4 Blue Bird eggs.

Nest #7 – 5 Blue Bird eggs. – Last Week: 5 Blue Bird Eggs.

Nest #8 – 5 Blue Bird eggs. – Last Week: 4 Blue Bird eggs.

Nest #9 – Nest built, no eggs yet. – Last Week: Nest built, no eggs yet.

Nesting box #8.

Nest #10 – Empty box, no activity. – Last Week: Empty box, no activity.

Nest #11 – Some straw in box. – Last Week: Some straw in box.

Nest #12 – 4 Blue Bird eggs. – Last Week: Nest built, no eggs yet.

Nest #13 – Nest built, no eggs yet. – Last Week: Nest built, no eggs yet.

The Trumpeter Vine plants in the north side of the Campus are producing some beautiful blossoms, just as the Hummingbirds are coming back to the area.

Next week, I look forward to doing the Trail Survey with John and Emily back and completing the Survey team.

Have a good week!

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2008 – WEEK #21 – MISSISSIPPI GULF COAST BLUE BIRD TRAIL UPDATE

Hello again, fellow Blue Bird watchers!

It’s Week #21 (and perhaps the final week) of the Blue Bird mating season at the Blue Bird Trail on the Campus of the South Mississippi Regional Center, in Long Beach, Mississippi.

Master Naturalist Buddy John reports from his Friday, July 25 survey of the SMRC Blue Bird Trail, that the five, large Blue Bird babies in nesting box #12 last week, flew from the nest. And with their departure, that now leaves all 13 nesting boxes empty.

Master Naturalist Buddy john and Emily walking the Blue Bird Trail.

John said last week that he is very enthused with the results from the first mating season of the Long Beach Blue Bird Trail, with a total of 45 Blue Bird babies and 6 Chickadee babies born on the Trail, entering into the local bird populations of the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

John added that he learned a lot during this season about Blue Birds, and is anxiously awaiting the next season to see how many of the 13 nesting boxes will be used by Blue Bird pairs to raise young birds.

We want to Thank all of you Blue Bird enthusiasts for stopping by during this first season of the Trail to check on how the Blue Bird mating activity has been going, and we welcome you to check back in with us next January or so, as the next season begins.

Or, stop by anytime to check out the varied posts!

In the meantime, Happy Birding!

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2008 – WEEK #18 – MISSISSIPPI GULF COAST BLUE BIRD UPDATE

Ok, Blue Bird fans, it’s Week #18 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, July 3, 2008, walking around campus during a Thursday morning, taking the Blue Bird Trail nesting survey.

Here are this week’s Survey results:

Master Naturalist Buddy John and Emily, the Tree-Climbing Wonder Dog, traversing the north acreage of the campus Blue Bird Trail this morning.

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.

Three Blue Bird babies are about ready to fly from the nest this week.

Box #3- Empty nesting box, no activity. – Last week: Empty nesting box, no activity.

Box #4- 1 Blue Bird baby, 3 Blue Bird eggs. – Last week: 4 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: 3 Blue Bird eggs.

New Blue Bird baby in nesting box #4.

Box #7- Empty nesting box, no activity. – Last week: Empty nesting box, no activity.

Box #8- Empty nesting box, no activity. – Last week: Empty nesting box, no activity.

Box #9- Empty nesting box, no activity. – Last week: 4 Blue Bird babies flew the nest.

The Killdeer babies continue to grow, and it won’t be long and they will be as large as their parents.

Box #10- Empty nesting box, no activity. – Last week: Empty nesting box, no activity.

Box #11- Empty nesting box, no activity. – Last week: Few old straw, no new activity.

The Campus in Long Beach has more than birds and squirrels living within its fences, as this furry critter attests.

Box #12- 5 Blue Bird eggs. – Last week: 5 Blue Bird eggs.

Box #13- Empty Nesting box, no activity. – Last week: Empty nesting box, no activity.

Totals This Week: 11 Blue Bird eggs, 4 Blue Bird babies, 9 Empty nesting boxes.

Totals Last 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.

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. We are hoping to have at least 50 Blue Bird babies fly from the nests this season.

The weather today was partly cloudy, light wind and about 87 degrees.

Another update will be along next weekend. Have a great Holiday Weekend!

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2008 – WEEK #13 – MISSISSIPPI GULF COAST BLUE BIRD UPDATE – WITH PICS OF EMILY THE TREE-CLIMBING WONDER DOG & NATURALIST JOHN!

It’s Week #13 update time for the Mississippi Gulf Coast Blue Bird Program folks! So, here is what ‘Master Naturalist’ buddy John and I found today, May 30, 2008, walking around campus during our Friday afternoon Blue Bird Trail nesting survey: (sprinkled in among the findings are images of Master Naturalist Buddy John, his Tree-Climbing Wonder Dog Emily, his home and his magnificent view).

**John asked me to remind our readers this week that he is: still single, and eligible, has a great dog by the name of Emily – the Tree-Climbing Wonder Dog, a black manx cat named Haley, lives in a beautiful home with a magnificent view on a bayou north of Pass Christian , likes to hunt and fish, is interested in dating and possible marriage to woman who is: single, age 21-35, beautiful, educated, good sense of humor, loves dogs and cats, loves to fish and has a boat. If interested, please send picture of boat.

I don’t know, folks. That’s what he told me to write…

Here goes:

Image of Nesting Box #6 from last week’s survey.

Box #1- Empty box, no activity. – Last week: 5 Blue Bird babies flew.

Master Naturalist Buddy John, cooking fish at one of his famous bayou cookouts, is a graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, which is also Brett Favre’s alma mater.

Box #2- Full Blue Bird nest built, 1 Blue Bird egg. – Last week: More straw placed in box.

John’s dog, Emily, the Tree-Climbing Wonder Dog, in a 750-year old Live Oak, in Long Beach, Mississippi.

Box #3- Empty box, no activity. – Last week: Empty box, no activity.

Emily the Tree-Climbing Wonder Dog heads up a steep incline in the Live Oak.

Box #4- At least 2 Blue Bird babies. – Last week: At least 2 Blue Bird babies.

Emily is literally not afraid to go way out on a limb, in this second largest Live Oak tree in Mississippi, with a limb spread of 161 feet! Emily is not afraid to get up in the air in her pursuit of squirrels.

Box #5- Empty box, no activity. – Last week: Empty box, no activity.

Yep, she loves it up there.

Box #6- 3 Blue Bird babies. – Last week: 5 Blue Bird eggs.

You wouldn’t catch me up that high!

Box #7- 4 Blue Bird eggs. – Last week: 4 Blue Bird eggs.

She’s one amazing dog!

Box #8- Empty box, no activity. Last week: – Empty box, no activity.

John’s home is on the Bayou Portage, and has a beautiful view of the Wolf River Marsh, on the north side of the Bay of St. Louis, on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, just north of Pass Christian. Try to picture a Katrina water storm surge level which reached a foot above the hand rail of the very top deck! That was 31 feet above sea level, folks! John;s home survived the surge, but had to be completely gutted inside.

Box #9- 4 Blue Bird eggs. – Last week: New nest built & 1 Blue Bird egg.

View from John’s dining/living room and back deck of the Wolf River Marsh.

Box #10- Empty box, no activity. – Empty box, no activity.

View from the top deck of John’s home, of the Bayou Portage and Wolf River Marsh. The little girl on the short deck, is Evy, and the fellow bending over on the right on the bayou dock is her father, and they are also the daughter and husband of none other than that Wizard of Words, MAGGIE, DAMMIT, who, with her family, were all on the Mississippi Gulf Coast last June as volunteers helping rebuild homes after Hurricane Katrina, her second such volunteer relief trip to the coast in the spring and summer of 2007.

Box #11- Empty box, no activity. – Last week: Empty box, no activity.

Emily the Tree-Climbing Wonder Dog.

Box #12- Empty box, no activity. – Last week: Empty box, no activity.

The boat/fishing deck at John’s home on the Bayou Portage at sunset, is an incredibly beautiful place to be. The fisherman on the right on the dock is the husband of Maggie, Dammit.

Box #13- 4 Blue Bird babies. – Last week: 5 Blue Bird eggs.

Totals This week: (may 30, 2008): 9 Blue Bird eggs, 9 Blue Bird babies, 7 empty nesting boxes.

Totals Last week: (May 23, 2008):15 Blue Bird eggs, 2 Blue Bird babies, 5 Blue Bird babies flew the nest, 5 empty nesting boxes.

Master Naturalist buddy John continues to be very enthused about the activity, and reports that so far, 19 Blue Bird babies and 6 Chickadee babies have flown from the nesting boxes during this first season of the new Blue Bird Trail. The weather today was partly cloudy, humid and about 88, with more of the same during the next seven days.

Another update will be along next weekend.

Happy Birding, and Thanks for stopping by!

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