2009 – Week #20 Mississippi Gulf Coast Blue Bird Trail Update

Welcome again, Blue Bird enthusiasts, to the Mississippi Gulf Coast Blue Bird Trail, in Long Beach, and the Week #20 Trail Survey results.

During this past week on the Trail, the daily temperature average has moderated slightly, dropping into the low 90s to high 80s, a change that was welcomed by area residents.

Two growing, Blue Bird babies in nesting box #8 on the Long Beach Blue Bird Trail this week.

The 2009 Trail Survey is nearing an end, with only a couple of weeks left, during which, the last of the 12 Blue Bird babies currently in the nesting boxes will have flown. If they all make it to that point, the total number of babies flying from the nest will be at 67 for the 2009 Season, 22 more birds than flew last season.

And for that, Master Naturalist Buddy John and I are thankful.

Here are Survey Totals this 2009 Season so far:

86 eggs laid: 9 have been sterile, 5 lost to a predator.

55 babies have flown the nest. – Last Year: 40 babies had flown the nest as of Week #18. Last Year Total Blue Bird babies flying from the nesting boxes: 45.

4 eggs in nesting boxes currently.

12 babies in nesting boxes currently.

Here are the results of Friday’s Blue Bird Trail Survey of the individual nesting boxes, on Friday morning, July 17, 2009:

Nesting Box #1 – Empty nesting box, no activity. – Last Week: Empty nesting box, no activity.

Nesting Box #2 – Empty nesting box, no activity. – Last Week: Empty nesting box, no activity.

Nesting Box #3 – Empty nesting box, no activity. – Last Week: Empty nesting box, no activity.

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

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

Nesting Box #6 – Empty nesting box, no activity. – Last Week: Empty nesting box, no activity.

Nesting Box #7 – 1 Blue Bird baby, 3 Blue Bird eggs. – Last Week: 1 Blue Bird baby, 3 Blue Bird eggs.

Nesting Box #8 – 2 Blue Bird Babies, possible predator problem. – Last Week: 3 Blue Bird Babies, 1 Blue Bird egg.

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

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

Nesting Box #11 – Empty nesting box, no activity. – Last Week: Empty nesting box, no activity.

Nesting Box #12 – 4 Blue Bird babies. – Last Week: 4 Blue Bird babies.

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

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John and I will do Trail Survey #21 next Friday, and then John will do the final Trail Survey the following Friday, July 31, when I will be in Wisconsin visiting family and friends.

Have a great week!

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2009 – Week #18 Mississippi Gulf Coast Blue Bird Trail Update

Hello again fellow Blue Bird enthusiasts, and Welcome to Week #18 of the Mississippi Gulf Coast Blue Bird Trail Survey, on the campus of the South Mississippi Regional Center, in Long Beach.

Juvenile Blue Birds from the first hatch of the 2009 Season.

It has been yet another very hot week here on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, but several of the Blue Bird pairs are still producing eggs. 5 new eggs were laid during the past week, bringing the total number of eggs in the nesting boxes to 17. There are no Blue Bird babies currently in the boxes.

Commenting on the Blue Bird Trail Survey this afternoon, Master Naturalist Buddy John, the founder of the Long Beach Blue Bird Trail, had several things to say: “It’s scorching, it’s no fun checking boxes this time of year. I’m very happy with what we’re doing. We’ve got 10 more birds that have flown this year already, than last year, and we have 17 eggs still in the nesting boxes. So, I think we could reasonably push 70 new birds this summer. That’s an increase of 25 from last year. So, I’m happy. I think we’ve done more than we have expected.”

Here are Survey Totals this 2009 Season so far:

86 eggs laid: 9 have been sterile, 4 lost to a predator.

55 babies have flown the nest. – Last Year: 36 babies had flown the nest as of Week #18. Last Year Total Blue Bird babies flying from the nesting boxes: 45.

17 eggs in nesting boxes currently.

0 babies in nesting boxes currently.

Here are the results of Friday’s Blue Bird Trail Survey of the individual nesting boxes, on Friday morning, July 3, 2009:

Nesting Box #1 – Empty nesting box, no activity. – Last Week: 3 Blue Bird babies flew the nest, 1 Blue Bird egg missing.

Nesting Box #2 – Empty nesting box, no activity. – Last Week: 3 Blue Bird babies flew the nest, 1 Blue Bird egg missing.

Nesting Box #3 – Empty nesting box, no activity. – Last Week: Empty nesting box, no activity.

Nesting Box #4 – 5 Blue Bird eggs. – Last Week: New nest built, 1 Blue Bird egg.

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

Nesting Box #6 – Empty nesting box, no activity. – 4 Blue Bird babies flew the nest.

Nesting Box #7 – 4 Blue Bird eggs. – Last Week: New nest built, 4 Blue Bird eggs. – Third Clutch.

Nesting Box #8 – 4 Blue Bird eggs. – 4 Blue Bird eggs – Third Clutch.

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

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

Nesting Box #11 – Empty nesting box, no activity. – Last Week: Empty nesting box, no activity.

Nesting Box #12 – 4 Blue Bird eggs. – Last Week: 3 Blue Bird eggs – Third Clutch.

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

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In other breaking news along the Blue Bird Trail this week, our friend, Master Naturalist Andrea K. retired on Wednesday, after 25 years of service on the campus of the SMRC. Her presence and contributions to our clients and staff, will be (are) sorely missed. Enjoy your retirement, Andrea!

Master Naturalist Andrea K., of Hummingbird Trapping fame, (see the little hummer in the white mesh bag?) a staunch supporter of the Blue Bird Trail, and birding, in general, and more recently as Director of Interdisciplinary Programs at the SMRC, has retired this week after 25 years of dedicated service.

Your author will join Master Naturalist Buddy John and his two weekend guests, and Master Naturalist Andrea, and spouse, Ralph, of recent sky diving fame, tomorrow morning to attend the Annual Bay St. Louis Crab Fest, across the bay. That will be a real treat!

How hot has it been here? After a high of 96 earlier this afternoon, at 10:07pm here, it is 86 and clear.

Have a great Holiday weekend!

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2009 – Week #17 Mississippi Gulf Coast Blue Bird Trail Update

Another very hot week has passed, here on the Mississippi Gulf Coast Blue Bird Trail, on the campus of the South Mississippi regional Center, in Long Beach, but despite the torrid weather, the Week #17 Trail Survey results showed that 10 more Blue Bird babies flew, and 12 new eggs, appeared in the nesting boxes, since the last Survey.

Nesting box #12 has a brand new nest this week, the largest nest of any we have observed this season. This Blue Bird pair really outdid themselves in the construction of this nest, as the top of it comes right up to the entrance hole.

The flight of the 10 babies during the week, brought the 2009 Season Total to 55, 10 ahead of the entire 2008 Total of 45 babies flying the nest. And with 12 new eggs being laid during the past week, that flight total of 55 should go well over 60 by the end of the 2009 Season.

Here are Survey Totals this 2009 Season so far:

81 eggs laid: 9 have been sterile, 4 lost to a predator.

55 babies have flown the nest. – Last Year: 36 babies had flown the nest as of Week #17. Last Year Total Blue Bird babies flying from the nesting boxes: 45.

12 eggs in nesting boxes currently.

0 babies in nesting boxes currently.

Here are the results of Friday’s Blue Bird Trail Survey of the individual nesting boxes, on Friday morning, June 26, 2009:

Nesting Box #1 – 3 Blue Bird babies flew the nest, 1 Blue Bird egg missing. – Last Week: 3 Blue Bird babies, 1 Blue Bird egg.

Nesting Box #2 – 3 large Blue Bird babies flew the nest, 2 Blue Bird eggs left – sterile. – Last Week: 3 Blue Bird babies, 2 Blue Bird eggs.

Nesting Box #3 – Empty nesting box, no activity. – Last Week: Empty nesting box, no activity.

Nesting Box #4 – New nest built, 1 Blue Bird egg. – Last Week: 4 Blue Bird babies flew the nest, removed old nest, cleaned.

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

Nesting Box #6 – 4 Blue Bird babies. – Last Week: 4 Blue Bird babies.

Nesting Box #7 – New nest built, 4 Blue Bird eggs. – Third Clutch. – Last Week: New nest built, 1 Blue Bird egg.

Nesting Box #8 – 4 Blue Bird eggs – Third Clutch. – Last Week: New nest built – Third Clutch.

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.

Nesting Box #11 – Empty box, no activity. – Last Week: 5 Large Blue Bird babies flew the nest, removed nest, cleaned box.

Nesting Box #12 – 3 Blue Bird eggs – Third Clutch. – Last Week: New nest built – Third Clutch.

Nesting Box #13 – Empty box, no activity. – Last Week: 5 Large Blue Bird babies flew the nest, removed nest, cleaned box.

Have a great week, and here’s to another quiet hurricane season week in the tropics!

COME ON, COOLER WEATHER AND SOME RAIN!

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2009 – Week #13 Mississippi Gulf Coast Blue Bird Trail Update

Hello again, fellow Blue Bird enthusiasts, and WELCOME to Week #13 of the 2009 Mississippi Gulf Coast Blue Bird Trail Survey, on the campus of the South Mississippi Regional Center, in Long Beach.

Master Naturalist Buddy John checks Blue Bird Trail nesting box #7 during this week’s Survey.

It’s been another active week on the Trail with lots of new Blue Bird babies and eggs counted during Friday’s Survey!

When Master Naturalist Buddy John and I were about to start out along the Trail Friday morning, John commented that he was excited to do the Survey this week, as he expected we would find lots of new babies and eggs.

He was right!

After discovering during last week’s Survey that a predator had taken 3 of the 4 eggs in nesting box #2 on the Trail, we were surprised during this week’s Survey to discover that the female Blue Bird nesting in that box, had gotten busy during this past week and laid another 4 eggs, to bring the total number there to 5 now.

Let’s talk Totals this 2009 Season so far:

First Hatch Totals:
33 eggs total, 5 of which were sterile.
28 Blue Bird babies flew the nest.

Second Hatch Totals (so far):
36 eggs total, 3 of which were lost to a predator.
19 eggs in nesting boxes.
14 babies in nesting boxes.

Season Totals (so far):
69 eggs: 5 sterile, 3 to a predator.
28 babies have flown the nest.
19 eggs in nesting boxes.
14 babies in nesting boxes.

We discovered five new Blue Bird babies in nesting box #11 Friday morning, probably hatched within the previous few days.

Here are the results of Friday’s Blue Bird Trail Survey – May 29, 2009:

Nesting Box #1 – 4 Blue Bird eggs. – Last Week: 4 new Blue Bird eggs.

Nesting Box #2 – 5 Blue Bird eggs; Mama Blue Bird went right to work and laid 4 new eggs during the past week. – Last Week:1 Blue Bird egg, predator got 3 eggs.

Nesting Box #3 – No new activity, nest removed, box cleaned. – Last Week: Nest built, no new activity.

Nesting Box #4 – 5 Blue Bird eggs. – Last Week: 5 Blue Bird eggs.

Here are the 4 second hatch eggs in nesting box #4, on Friday.

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

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

Nesting Box #7 – 4 Blue Bird babies. – Last Week: 3 Blue Bird babies, 1 Blue Bird egg.

Nesting Box #8 – Some straw, no new activity, removed straw, cleaned box. – Last Week: Some straw in box, no new activity.

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

When we opened the cover on nesting box #13, we found 5 hungry new babies waiting for their next morsel from their parents.

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

Nesting Box #11 – 5 new Blue Bird babies. – Last Week: 5 Blue Bird eggs.

Nesting Box #12 – Some straw in box, ne new activity, removed straw, cleaned box. – Last Week: Some new straw in box, no activity.

Nesting Box #13 – 5 new Blue Bird babies. – Last Week: 5 Blue Bird eggs.

Have a great weekend!

Oh yes, guess what we had Friday morning first thing in our department at work: a Hurricane Preparedness Training video! It’s get ready time…

On Monday, the 2009 Atlantic Hurricane Season begins!

Here we go again!

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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 #10 Mississippi Gulf Coast Blue Bird Trail Update

Welcome back, Blue Bird enthusiasts! It’s Week #10 of the 2009 Mississippi Gulf Coast Blue Bird Trail Survey in Long Beach.

Master Naturalist Buddy John makes a notation at Nesting Box #7 during Week #10 of the Mississippi Gulf Coast Blue Bird Trail Survey.

And the heat and humidity are back on the Gulf Coast! [sweat drips off the author's brow] And, wouldn’t you know, just as the weather here on the Gulf Coast turns hot and humid, my air conditioner quits running! Great!

We are basically at the halfway point of the 2009 Blue Bird mating season here, and activity on the Trail continued in high gear this past week.

A juvenile Blue Bird which flew from Nesting Box #6 stays close to his mother Friday morning, in a tree near the nesting box.

Master Naturalist Buddy John and your author are very enthused with the results of the 2009 Blue Bird mating season thus far.

The First Hatch of the season has officially ended now, with the last remaining Blue Bird baby from Hatch 1, residing in Box #1, flying from the nest during this past week.

They stayed close on the Nesting Box, too.

The Trail totals from the First Hatch of 2009, included: 33 total Blue Bird eggs, 5 of which were sterile, and 28 Blue Bird babies flying from the nests, since the first trail survey of 2009, back on March 4.

In the 21 weeks of the 2008 Season, we had a total of 45 Blue Bird babies fly from the nests.

This juvenile Blue Bird feeds on the ground near the Nesting Box.

This week during the Survey, we found: 1 Blue Bird baby had flown from the nest, 8 new Blue Bird eggs in nests, 5 nests built or under construction, and only 3 empty nesting boxes. A great flurry of activity to move into the Second Hatch.

Here are the results of Friday’s Blue Bird Trail Survey – May 8, 2009:

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

Nesting Box #2 – New Blue Bird nest completed, 3 Blue Bird eggs. – Last Week: A few pieces of new straw in box.

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

Nesting Box #4 – New Blue Bird nest built. – Last Week: New Blue Bird nest under construction.

There were 3 new Blue Bird eggs in Nesting Box #4 in Friday morning’s Survey.

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

Nesting Box #6 – Some new straw in box. – Last Week: Empty box, no activity.

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

There were 3 new Blue Bird eggs in Nesting Box #7 this morning, too.

Nesting Box #8 – Some new straw in box. – Last Week: Empty box, no activity.

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.

Nesting Box #11 – New Blue Bird nest built, 1 Blue Bird egg. – Last Week: Empty box, no activity.

Nesting Box #12 – Some new straw in box. – Last Week: 4 Blue Bird babies flew from the nest, no eggs in old nest; removed old nest, cleaned box.

Nesting Box #13 – New Blue Bird nest built, 1 Blue Bird egg. – Last Week: Empty nest, no activity.

These beautiful little yellow wildflowers were in great abundance in the north pasture this week.

Oh yes: only 23 more days remaining until the 2009 Atlantic/Gulf Coast Hurricane Season begins.

Here at the South Mississippi Regional Center this morning, a hurricane evacuation drill was held, complete with our clients being loaded onto buses and vans for a short trip away from the Center, and then back again.

The drill went very smoothly. Hopefully, no evacuations will be necessary during this hurricane season.

Have a good week!

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2009 – Week #8 Mississippi Gulf Coast Blue Bird Trail Update

Hello again, Blue Bird enthusiasts, and welcome to Week #8 of the 2009 Mississippi Gulf Coast Blue Bird Trail Survey at the South Mississippi Regional Center in Long Beach!

One of the resident male Blue Birds residing on the premises of the Blue Bird Trail at the SMRC in Long Beach, suns himself during this past week, and provides your author the opportunity to snap an image or two for this post.

It has been an exciting time here for us on the Blue Bird Trail, where 23 Blue Bird babies flew from the nesting boxes during the past week! In last year’s 2008 Week #8 Trail Survey, only 8 Blue Bird babies had yet to fly from the nests.

What an amazing increase in nesting activity over last year at this same time in the season!

The male Blue Bird grabs a bug from the grass to help feed his nearby growing babies, here on the Blue Bird Trail.

In addition, we still have 3 Blue Bird eggs from this first hatch still in incubation in one of the nesting boxes, as well as 5 young Blue Bird babies growing in the boxes.

Potentially, if 3 remaining eggs hatch, and the (then) 8 babies all are able to survive and fly from the nests, we could end up having a total of 31 new Blue Bird babies fly during the first hatch!

The 4 Blue Bird babies in nesting box #7 flew this week, leaving one sterile egg that didn’t hatch, behind.

In the 2008 season, we only had a total of 45 babies fly the nests. Thus, we are guardedly optimistic about the final results that this season could end up achieving.

Needless-to-say, Master Naturalist Buddy John is very pleased about how the 2009 Blue Bird breeding season is progressing.

These very large Blue Bird babies still residing in nesting box #12, will probably fly from the nest within a few days.

Here are the results of today’s Blue Bird Trail Survey – April 24, 2009:

Nest #1 – 1 Blue Bird baby, 3 Blue Bird eggs. – Last Week: 4 Blue Bird eggs.

Nest #2 – 4 Blue Bird babies flew the nest, 1 sterile Blue Bird egg. Removed old nest, cleaned nesting box. – Last Week: 4 large Blue Bird babies, 1 Blue Bird egg.

This image shows how packed down the growing babies make the nest (box #8), just prior to flying from it.

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

Nest #4 – 5 Blue Bird babies flew the nest. Removed old nest, cleaned nesting box. – Last Week: 5 Blue Bird eggs.

Nest #5 – Empty box, no activity. – Last Week: Removed old nest – cleaned box.

In addition to getting mashed down by the growing babies, the nests in the nesting boxes tend to get pretty “dirty” while the babies are in the nest, as nesting box #4 shows in this image.

Nest #6 – 5 Blue Bird babies flew the nest. Removed nest, cleaned nesting box. – Last Week: 5 Blue Bird babies.

Nest #7 – 4 Blue Bird babies flew the nest, 1 sterile Blue Bird egg. Removed old nest and sterile egg, cleaned nesting box. – Last Week: 4 Blue Bird babies, 1 Blue Bird egg.

Nest #8 – 5 Blue Bird babies flew the nest, removed the old nest, cleaned nesting box. – Last Week: 5 Blue Bird babies.

Nest #9 – Empty box, no activity. – Last Week: Removed old nest – cleaned box.

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

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

Nest #12 – 4 large Blue Bird babies, will probably fly from the nest during the coming week. – Last Week: 4 small Blue Bird babies.

Nest #13 – Empty nest, no activity. Last Week: – Removed old nest, cleaned box.

Oh yes, only 37 more days until the gulf coast hurricane season begins. Oh, goody!

And, I saw the first “love bugs” of the spring season flying around today!

Have a great weekend!

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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 #5: Mississippi Gulf Coast Blue Bird Trail Update: BLUE BIRD BABIES!

Hello again, Blue Bird fans, and welcome to Week #5 Survey results of the Mississippi Gulf Coast Blue Bird Trail, on the campus of the South Mississippi Regional Center in Long Beach.

The Blue Bird Trail was not nearly as WET this week Friday, as it was last Saturday morning, as the following image from then shows.

Last Saturday, March 28, was the most wet day in the past two years of the Survey. Fortunately, none of the Trail nesting boxes was flooded by the high waters on the Trail.

First, I’m happy to report that Master Naturalist Buddy John, and Emily – the Tree-Climbing Wonder Dog, were back to participate in this week’s Trail Survey, at least in part.

The three of us did the upper part of the Trail Survey, while your author and fellow employee Russell – The Grounds Guru, covered the lower, north part of the campus, which was still soggy Friday morning, from Thursday afternoon’s tornado producing thunderstorm/rains, and last weeks’ heavy rains that drenched this area of the Gulf Coast.

Here are 5 of our 22 new Blue Bird babies observed during this week’s Survey.

This week’s results are EXCITING, as after reporting a total of 29 Blue Bird eggs in the Trail nesting boxes last week, we now have 22 hungry little Blue Bird babies and 9 Blue Bird eggs in the Trail nesting boxes!

In last years’ Week #5 Blue Bird Trail Survey, we reported having only 5 Blue Bird babies and 11 Blue Bird eggs in the nesting boxes. Quite a difference this year!

Here are the four Blue Bird eggs in nesting box #12 this week. We hope to have 4 new babies by nest week’s Survey.

Here are this week’s results from the Survey taken Friday, April 3, 2009:

Nest #1 – 2 Blue Bird eggs. – Last Week: New Blue Bird straw nest built on top of the moss nest; Momma Blue Bird took over the nesting box!

Nest #2 – 3 Blue Bird babies, 2 Blue Bird eggs. – Last Week: 5 Blue Bird eggs.

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

Russell shows how high the flood waters reached on nesting box #12 last Saturday.

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. – Last Week: 5 Blue Bird Eggs.

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

Here are the new Blue Bird babies and an unhatched egg from nesting box #7, photographed on Friday, April 3, 2009.

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.

During this week’s Trail Survey, and throughout Friday, several large military planes flew over the Blue Bird Trail, on the Gulf Coast for this weekend’s huge Keeseler Air Force Base Air Show, on Saturday and Sunday, in Biloxi..

OH, yes, only 57 more days until the 2009 Gulf Coast Hurricane Season starts!

Have a good week!

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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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