Adopt-a-Nest-Box at Refuge

How would you like to help expand the Bluebird Trail at Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge? The Friends of Hagerman NWR are offering the opportunity to adopt a nest box at the Refuge for one nesting season, for a donation of $25. to the Friends. There are currently three Bluebird trails at the refuge and more boxes being added. All the boxes will be monitored weekly by volunteers once nesting begins for the season. These boxes may host Bluebirds, Warblers, Chickadees or Titmice.

To adopt a box for yourself or as a gift for others, go to http://www.friendsofhagerman.com/images/articles/20101118071550_adopt_a_nest_box_form.pdf When your adoption form is received, you will receive an acknowledgement, and if the adoption is made as a gift, the recipient will also receive notification. Before the 2011 nesting season begins, a box will be tagged with your name or that of the gift recipient. Those with e-mail will be notified of the box location, and regular updates, including photos, will be sent about nesting activity in your box. If you do not have e-mail, you will receive a letter summarizing nesting activity for your box, at the end of the season.

The adoption period for 2011 begins November 1, 2010, and ends February 1, 2011.

For more information, please send a request by way of the Comment page at http://www.friendsofhagerman.com. To view the official Hagerman NWR website, go to http://www.fws.gov/southwest/refuges/texas/hagerman/index.html.

Photo by Grace Haight.

Nest Box Monitors

Would you enjoy watching a bird’s nest, seeing the newly laid eggs and then the tiny baby birds who would soon be ready to fledge? You can do this as a volunteer, but please don’t take a peek unless you are on the monitor team, to avoid disturbing the birds more than once a week.

One of the Friends of Hagerman’s goals for this year was to add more nest boxes at the Refuge, then Sandy Campbell’s Second Saturday program on Bluebirds in March inspired the formation of the Nest Box Monitors Team at Hagerman NWR. The monitors have met, organized and are working to upgrade and add additional nest boxes at the Refuge. In addition, under Derek Miller’s leadership, a web-based data collection system has been developed and the Bluebird boxes are being given a GPS identifier and unique number so that each monitoring team can record data easily.

Originally there was a Bluebird trail along Harris Creek Trail; now Sandy Campbell has added more boxes there, and the team built a dozen new boxes and installed them along that trail as replacements for deteriorating boxes. A second trail has been added by Sandy along Haller Haven Trail and more boxes placed near Meadow Pond Trail.

The houses are monitored weekly by rotating pairs of monitors from the team and reports made. For last week Mike Chiles and Sandy reported that along the Meadow Pond Trail they found that a Titmouse and a Prothonotary Warbler had eggs; on Harris Creek they found three nest boxes with Bluebirds about to fledge, and one box with four eggs.

Currently the active team members are Sandy Campbell, Jack Chiles, Mike Chiles, Dianne Connery, Dick Malnory, Derek Miller, Andre Pease, Mike Pease, and Roger Peckinpaugh. There is room for more!! Just contact the Refuge to join up, 903 786 2826. Kathy Whaley is the Refuge liaison.

For more info, see the official Refuge website, http://www.fws.gov/southwest/refuges/texas/hagerman/index.html and/or the Friends website, http://www.friendsofhagerman.com.

Photo by Dick Malnory