Wisconsin
Spring 2009
Vol. 24, No. 1
Bluebird
Newsletter of the Bluebird Restoration Association of Wisconsin, Inc.
BRAW is an affiliate member of the North American Bluebird Society (NABS), founded by Lawrence Zeleny
Bluebird Nestbox Building Blitz!
Pat Ready
see page 12
Zach Brocken working the assembly line at the ALAS nestbox blitz.
Also inside this issue: Trails of Excellence - 2 • Monitor’s List - 3 • PVC Box Effectiveness? - 5 • Appreciation
Certificate - 6 • Black Flies: New Findings - 7 • Looking Back - 8 • Downy WP for Hire - 9 • Bluebirds Challenge
Winter - 10 • Bluebird B&B? - 11 • BPCA Contributes - 12 • BRAW County Coordinators - 13 • Attracting Purple
Martins - 14 • BRAW Online - 16 • NABS Style Plan - 17 • Monitor Forms - 19-22 • Workshops - 23
Trails of Excellence
and Trails of Honor
for BRAW Monitors:
2008
by Kent Hall
F
or the third year in a row I am
recognizing selected trails for their
high productions. This year, for the
first time, I am recognizing Trails of
Excellence (at or above the statewide
average of 2.9 fledglings per box)
in addition to Trails of Honor (2.0-2.89
fledglings/box). To be eligible for
these lists, you must be monitoring
at least 10 nest boxes per season.
A major factor in making one of
these lists is your location in the state.
These lists are dominated by trails
located in the central & western part
of the state where there are higher
populations of bluebirds and reduced
populations of Tree Swallows. Those
trails located in southeast WI, along
Lake Michigan and in the northern
third of the state which is heavily
wooded, are limited by low populations of bluebirds and high populations of Tree Swallows. That handicap
represents 1-2 fledglings per box,
on the average. But the trails of Ed
Kowalski, Roy & Charlotte Lukes,
Melissa Bruder, Jean-Pierre & Ellen
Lafouge & Joanne DeVetter, among
others, show that
even in these geographic areas, selecting proper habitat and using the good
management practices developed
by BRAW, can overcome the limitations of geography.
It is my contention that with good
weather (lacking in the 2008 season),
any trail in the state can reach 2.0
bluebirds fledged/nest box by using
the management practices promoted
by BRAW. I would hope that each
BRAW monitor would set their sites
on putting up at least 10 nest boxes
which reach this fledgling rate of 2.0/
box. That is a conservation goal that
all who wish to can achieve.
Anyone who finds their name(s)
left off of these lists or mis-spelled,
should contact me and the error will
be corrected in the summer Wisconsin
Bluebird.
Wisconsin Bluebird
Trails of Excellence: 88 Total
7.08: Patricia Koblenz
6.08: Craig & Laurie Bartholomew
5.94: Bonnie Waack
5.88: Ed Kowalski
5.74: John Wiggert
5.63: Bill & Jill Ziehr
5.50: Bill Hallam
5.45: Lowell Peterson
5.44: Gail Janz
5.44: Dick & Karen Olsen
5.43: Bill Balmer
5.36: Nancy Crawford
5.25: Richard & Candice Knutson
5.23: Neah Lohn (Mirror Lake 4-H
Club)
5.17: Joe Schultz
5.00: Don Fabisiak
5.00: Tim Knudson
4.94: Kent Stephan
4.84: Fred & Mary Craig
4.84: Pat & Toni Wanserski
4.80: Doug Aziz & Bill Hirt
4.75: Dawson Verdel
4.74: David & Patti Becker
4.73: Jerry Schoen
4.72: Iler Anderson
4.63: Jan Brady
4.61: Helen Pugh
4.60: Kathie Mitchell
4.58: Roy & Charlotte Lukes
4.55: Amanda Marco
4.54: Leif Marking
4.54: Carol Pestile & Lloyd Hoff
4.53: Maureen & Zach Brocken
4.44: Lane Poulin
4.44: Brad & Jean Sherman
4.42: Larry Casper
4.42: Sue Hall & Tricia Schaufenbuel
4.42: Mike Lyons
4.42: Bruce & Ruth Marion
4.39: Jim & Barb Gifford
4.33: Ginny Rieves
4.30: Gail Filzer
4.27: Brenda Spencer
4.25: Myron Byers
4.25: Nicole Hayes
4.24: Kent Hall
4.24: Ruthann Meiers
4.23: Gary & Connie Stout
4.20: Jim & Dorothy Beix
4.15: Rosie Gotsch
4.15: Jim & Darlene Jakusz
4.12: Mike Fort
4.10: Leif Tolokken
4.05: James Barth
4.02: Mike & Ellen Helgren
4.00: Melissa Bruder
4.00: Bill Clendenning & Shirley
Klapperich
2
4.00: Gregory Harmon
3.90: Jeri Lawrenz
3.84: Jean-Pierre & Ellen Lafouge
3.81: Harry & Helen Caulum
3.69: Jan Ronchetto
3.65: Larry & Reba Vitcenda
3.63: Dylan & Sandy Huber
3.54: Tamela Frey
3.53: John Schubring
3.50: Joanne DeVetter & Terri Sprout
3.47: Don Herrick
3.45: Dick Marco
3.42: Don Pritzl
3.40: Ruth Schoenwetter
3.38: Bev Deininger
3.38: Steph Haka
3.36: Ann E.S. Wick
3.34: Bob Tamm
3.29: Gordon Weber
3.26: Debbie Anderson
3.25: Keith & Karen Solimar
3.07: Morgan Jostad
3.07: Joan Schrinner
3.06: Vern & Emilie Weeks
3.05: Dave Farris & Marilyn Slezak
3.00: Pat Handrick
3.00: Kristine Vaughn
2.93: Dale & Doris Moody
2.92: Dave Fonger
2.90: Mike Padrutt
2.90: Frank Zuern
Trails of Honor: 52 Total
2.89: Richard & Colleen O’Brien
2.88: Don & Karen Haralson
2.86: Rodger Meyer
2.85: Pat Ready
2.80: Bill & Jeanie Fruin
2.80: Ben Teich
2.79: Mary Roen
2.78: Gerald Gerndt
2.75: Greg Dahl
2.75: Jan Landowski
2.75: David Thiel
2.72: Charlie Lautermilch
2.71: Bob Fox
2.70: Larry Dickerson
2.70: Ed Mathwig
2.69: Mike Moran
2.68: Storme Nelson (Hunt Hill
Audubon)
2.65: Earl Running
2.64: Eric & Pat Wickstrom
2.63: Ray Glew/Donald Park
2.60: Ken & Signe Onsrud
2.50: Rick & Carol Becker
2.50: Curt & Arlys Caslovka
2.48: Brian Doverspike
2.46: David & Pauline Pray
2.44: Helen Pugh
Spring 2009
2.42: Dave Farris
2.40: Nick Anderson
2.40: Memuna Kahn & Betty Berens
2.37: Claire Romanak
2.35: David Tuch
2.33: Steve Petznick (Mosquito Hill
Nature Ctr.)
2.31: Tom Michelson
2.29: Heidi Hughes
2.28: Keith Stoffel
2.26: Tom & Sue Beckett, Greenwood
Hills CC
2.25: Janet Kuyoth & Theresa
Cartwright
2.23: Linda Parrish
2.18: Terri Welisek
2.13: Sylvia Marek
2.13: David & Kelly Marwitz
2.09: Michael Johnson
2.08: Sally Martin
2.08: Charles & Chris Wellington
2.07: Mary Bratz
2.03: Karl & Jean Barkow
2.03: Kip Jacobs
2.00: Kathy Dreikosen
2.00: Carol McDaniel
2.00: Anne Moretti & Ellen Krzyston
2.00: Mary Strasser & Ray Opitz
2.00: Richard & Shelley Volk
2009 BRAW Info Pack
BRAW board members recently
revised and reprinted the BRAW Info
Pack with updated information and
more photos and box plans. To get
a copy send a request with $5.00 to
cover cost to Sue Schultz, Membership Chair, 5221 Cheryl’s Dr., Plover,
WI 54467 (Free with new memberships) Downloaded PDF file, free at
www.braw.org.
Wisconsin Bluebird
THE “100 CLUB”: Trails with extraordinary
commitment
by Kent Hall
Each nest box monitored requires a specific time commitment from the monitor. Below are listed the reports that involved the monitoring of 100 or more
nest boxes on the part of the respective monitors for the 2008 season. These
efforts reflect an extraordinary time commitment and effort to support the
BRAW goals of bluebird conservation.
NAME
Fred & Mary Craig
Kent Hall
Leif Marking
Ann Wick
John Zeinert
Dave Fonger
COUNTY
LaCrosse
Portage & Wood
LaCrosse
Dane
Winnebago
LaCrosse
BOX NUMBER
207
174
174
173
152
137
Bob Fox
Waushara
112
Iler Anderson
Burnett
108
BRAW Monitor’s List
for the 2008 Season, by
County
by Kent Hall
In the 2008 season, we had a drop in
total numbers of bluebirds produced,
a consequence of weather and loss of
“large trail” monitors reporting from
the 2007 season. It is my contention
that we will rebound from the suppression of weather on production,
but how about our participation by
monitors?. Table 1 shows that we are
doing quite well as an organization
from the standpoint of total reports
and total monitors participating in
our conservation efforts.
Although total production numbers
for bluebirds was down this season,
trends for the future are outstanding. During the two years OTS has
functioned, nest box occupancy has
set a record each year, a total gain of
6%/year = 12%. These numbers bode
well for production of bluebirds. It
follows that the higher the percentage
of nest boxes occupied by bluebirds,
the higher the production potential
is. Of course, that potential can only
be realized under favorable weather
conditions. The increase in percentage occupancy is a reflection of BRAW
monitors implementing better management practices on their trails.
Even more striking is the number of
reports I have received. Since taking
over from Joe O’Halloran, I have seen
a +65.6% in reports and a +103% in
total monitors. For 2007 and 2008 the
number of monitors from each report
has averaged 1.53 and 1.54, respectively, up from 1.26 in 2006.
We are not only poised to dramatically improve our production levels
(good weather permitting), we are
involving a greater and greater number of monitors on our trails. These
are signs that BRAW monitors should
be proud of and which we can continue in the future.
A total of 65 of 72 counties had
monitoring reports last season, one
more than last year. Some counties
Table 1. Improvement in nest box occupancy, numbers of BRAW reports
and total monitors since Operation Top State (OTS) was implemented.
Year
% Box Occupany
Total BRAW
Total BRAW
By Bluebirds
Reports
Monitors
2008
56%
323
499
2007
50%
267
409
2006
44%
195
245
3
Spring 2009
involved data collection by an exceptional number of monitors. These
included: Dane: 64; Door: 55; Portage:
36; LaCrosse: 26; Marathon: 21;
Kenosha: 19; Waukesha: 19; Sauk: 18;
Columbia: 13; Waupaca: 13; Racine:
12; Washington: 12; Ozaukee: 11;
Wood: 11.
For those who find mistakes in the
list of BRAW monitors below, please
contact me and corrections will be
placed in the Summer Issue of the
Wisconsin Bluebird.
Adams(5): Myron Byers, Ken & Rosie
Gotsch, Marvin Phillippi & David
Tuttle
Ashland(2): Rich & Carol Baker
Barron: None; Bayfield: None
Brown(4): Joanne DeVetter, John
Loehlein, Terri Sprout & Terri
Welisek
Buffalo(3): Heidi Heitman, Heidi
Hughes & Leif Tolokken
Burnett(2): Iler Anderson & Mary
Griesbach
Calumet(1): Terri Welisek
Chippewa(7): Debbie Anderson,
Bill Barnes, Mary Jo Fleming, Earl
Running, Elmer Sharp and Vern &
Emilie Weeks
Clark(6): Dave Farris, Don & Karen
Haralson, Dennis & Dorothy Owens
& Marilyn Slezak
Columbia(13 ): Laurie Armstrong,
Judi Benade, Brian Doverspike, Bill
Groogan, Nicole Hayes, Donald &
Carmen Jackson, Richard & Nicole
Knutson, Mark & Sue Martin, Brand
Smith & Rory Thomas
Crawford(4): Steve Anderson, Lane
Poulin and Larry & Reba Vitcenda
Dane(64 ): Karen Bate, Terri Bleck,
Warren Burger, Curt and Arlys
Caslavka, Doria Dahl, Larry
Dickerson, Jim Fitzpatrick, Rita
Garczynski, Steve & Aimee Gauger,
Ray Glew, Susan Gundlach, Chris
Gutzmer, Pat Handrick, Don &
Barbara Hartman. Craig & Pam
Heilman, Pat Hitchcock, Mark
Horn, Leslie Hutchins, Bob &
Marianne Jenson, Ben Johnson,
Carolyn Johnson, Mary Lalley, Jeri
Lawrenz, Susan Ludington, Tom
& Ann Mader, Sylvia Marek, Peg
Michel, Michael & Laurie Padrutt,
Mark Pepoy, Sandra Person, Marilyn
Peters, Nolan Pope, Pat Ready,
Jeremy Roe, Brian & Angie Roberts,
Wisconsin Bluebird
Phil Schleicher, Don Schmidt, Erin
Schneider, Ruth Schoenwetter,
Paul Scott, Nancy Seim, Jon Shaw,
Jenny Sievert, Jim Stick¸ Al & Barb
Stock, Ann Stratton, Tom Umhoefer,
Linda Van Brocklin, Gail Vanharen,
Kristine Vaughn, Gloria Welniak,
Ann E.S. Wick, Deb Wirth, Carole
Ziglin & Carol Zwickey.
Dodge(8): Jack Bartholmai, Barbara
Clark, Debra & Kathleen Finnessy,
Diane Haberman, Mike Helgren,
Joan Liechty, & Mike Lyons.
Door(55): Nick & Gail Anderson, Dan
& Marji Andrae, Jim & Pat Arnold,
George Bagnall, Susan Basten, Mark
Bogenschutz, Laurie Buske, Victoria
Cerinich, Beth Chafy-Hon, Gary
Chaudoir, Margaret Cooney, Terrie
Cooper, Ray Cordon, Ray Di lulio,
Rich Dirks, George Fiedler, Chris
Friese, Lois Hall, Marilyn Hansotia,
Mark Holey, Lynn Huber, Ray
Kaminski, Tom Kile, Ron Klimaitis,
Karl & Lucy Klug, Jerry Konrad,
Conrad Kretzmann, Roy & Char
Lukes, Wendy Lukes, Paul Lysne,
Neil McCarty, Tom Michelsen, Greg
Mox, Signe Onsrud, Ray Osinski,
Shirley Rosenquist, Jim & Mary
Rutter, Mike Schneider, Carl Scholz,
Joyce Schranz, Bernie Shumway,
Lynn Taylor, Ben Teich, Bob &
Barbara Tidball, Dave & Barbara
Tuch, Jane Weis & Eric Wickstrom.
Douglas(1): Charles Bergsten
Dunn(3): Pam Campbell & Dale &
Elinor Hanson
Eau Claire(6): Bill & Hugh Barnes,
Georgia Desiree Kurfman, Dick Marko
& Richard & Shelley Volk
Florence(1) Nancy Crawford
Fond du Lac(5): Betty Berens, Barbara
Clark, Memuna Kahn, Chuck
Oehmcke & Larry Vine
Forest: None
Grant(1): Michael Padrutt
Green(9): Linda Alger, Rod & Ann
Courtier, Bev Deininger, Kathy
Dreikosen, Chuck & Vicki Sasso and
Charles & Chris
Wellington
Green Lake(3): Jan Londowski and
David & Kelly Marwitz
Iowa(7): Judy Lovass, Richard &
Colleen O’Brien, Dale & Doris
Moody, Helen Pugh & Pat Ready
Iron(1): Janice Borth
Jackson(5): Larry Casper, Darrel
Eberhardt, Delores Iliff, Darlene
4
Neisner & Joan Schrinner
Jefferson(6): Mike & Lori Bachler,
Tamela Frey, John & Patricia Heiden
& Jerry Schoen
Juneau(1): Pat Koblenz
Kenosha(19): Marilyn Anderson, John
Dixon, Craig Fenters, Gerry Goff,
Kris Halker, John Krerowicz, Tom
Lajiness, Joyce Levandowski, Les
& Edna Lowe, John Meyer, Corey
Nelson, Paula Nolte, Al & Melody
Orban, Ray Polenik, Stan Rosensteil,
Ellie Smith & John Worrell
Kewaunee(1): Don Pritzl
LaCrosse(26): Dan Bruemmer, Harry
& Ellen Callum, Fred & Mary Craig,
Verdal Dawson, Joyce Ebert, Gail
Filzin, Dave Fonger, Brad Foss, Jerry
Guntz, Lloyd Hoff, Morgan Jostad,
Tim Knudson, Dick & Amanda
Marko, Leif Marking, Ron Page,
Carol Pestile, Jean Ruhser, Kent
Stephan, Mary Strasser, Marie Tabor,
Charles Ustby, John Wetzel & John
Wiggert
LaFayette(3): James Barth, Jim Hess &
Carol McDaniel
Langlade(3): Norm & Liz Dickman &
Clyde Park
Lincoln(1): Jim Blankenheim
Manitowoc(2): Charlie Geiger &
Duane Zabel
Marathon(21): Doug Aziz, Tom & Sue
Beckett, Theresa Cartwright, Carl
& Barbara Drake, Chuck & Cathy
Garvey, Don & Karen Haralson, Bill
Hirt, Leander Krieg, Janet Kuyoth,
Pat & Kay Meyer, Thomas Peterson,
Claire Romanak, Keith & Jenneane
Smith, Jim Sterzinger & Jolie Wood
Marinette(4): Ed Kowalski, Bill &
Mary Mahoney & Frank Zuern
Marquette: None
Menominee: None
Milwaukee(2): Judy Diliberti & Kip
Jacobs
Monroe(8): Bill Balmer, Craig &
Laurie Bartholomew, Mike Helgren,
Charlie Lautermilch, Kathie
Mitchell, Linda Parrish & Gordon
Weber
Oconto(9): Gene Birr, Don & Carol
Butrymowicz, Derek Fraley/
Gretzinger, Gerald Gerndt, Tim
Girbert, Joe Renkas, Nicole Shutt &
Robert Vladik
Oneida(4): Ray & Bev Manthey &
Keith & Jenneane Smith
Outagamie(5): Steve Beuchel, Mike
O’Connell, Steve Schleitwiler, Daniel
Spring 2009
Schroeder & Todd Ward
Ozaukee(11): Richard Albert, Kathy
Cullen, Ted David, Mark Feider,
Kristin Gies, Mary Holleback,
Jean-Pierre & Ellen Lafouge, Jim
Schoenike, Barry Thompson &
Renate Witt
Pepin(1): Heidi Hughes
Pierce(4): Jim & Dorothy Beix, Lisa
Bigaouette & Carol Forsythe
Polk(2): Julie Fox & Rodger Meyer
Portage(36): Doug Aziz, David & Patti
Becker, Maureen & Zach Brocken,
Mary Bratz, Greg Dahl, Deanna
Deising, Don Fabisiak, Caleb Feidt,
Jim & Barb Gifford, Stephanie Haka,
Kent & Sue Hall, Bill Hirt, Dylan &
Sandy Huber, Jim & Darlene Jakusz,
Gail Janz, Bob & Louise Juracka,
Dick & Karen Olsen, David &
Pauline Pray, Jan Ronchetto, Don &
Patti Sandman, Tricia Schaufenbuel,
Joe Schultz, Pat & Toni Wanserski,
Bill & Jill Ziehr
Price: None
Racine(12): Rick Fare, Don & Nancy
Jobe, Keith Kennedy, Jack & Janet
LeSeur, Juanita Patterson, Helen
Pugh, John Raymond, Greg & Ann
Shea & Bob Tamm
Richland(1): Paul Klawiter
Effectiveness of the
PVC Nest Box for
Producing Bluebirds
By Kent Hall
In the 2006 bluebird nesting season,
Gary Gaard built PVC nest boxes (64)
that he put in areas of high House
Sparrow (HOSP) concentration. He
was able to fledge 3.75 bluebirds/
nest box (reported in WI Bluebird, Vol.
22, #4, Pg. 10 & 11; additional report
Rock(9): Jack Freeman, John Freeman,
Bill & Jeanie Fruin, Mr. & Mrs.
Robert Holz, Michael Johnson, Pat
Ready & Jerry Schoen
Rusk(3): Don Bartig & Don & Karen
Haralson
Sauk(18): Jane Furchgott, Carrie, Dale,
Andrew, Chloe & Sophia Johnson,
Barb & Mark Keding, Neah Lohr,
Bruce & Ruth Marion, Katie, Chris
& Patrick Neuguth, Ted, Jan & T.J.
McGinnis & John Schubring
Sawyer(1): Diane Chambers
Shawano(3): Karl & Jean Barkow &
Ruthann Meiers
Sheboygan(2): Andy Holschbach &
Virginia Rice
St. Croix(5): Lowell Peterson, Keith &
Karen Solimar, Mary Roen & Debby
Walters
Taylor(3): Susanne Adams & Don &
Karen Haralson
Trempealeau(5): Jan Brady, Bill &
Julie Hallam, Dick Phillips & Leif
Tolokken
Vernon: None
Vilas(1): Bob Butzer
Walworth(6): Martin & Hillary Ford,
Thomas Ganfield, Mariette Nowak,
Jerry Schoen & Jane Wiemerslage
Washburn(7): Jillian Bjorklund,
in WB, Vol. 21, #4, Pg. 10 & 11) and
claimed that these boxes could be used
to prevent HOSP occupancy and fledge
relatively high numbers of Eastern
Bluebirds (EABL).
At the 2007 BRAW Annual State
Convention, Gary presented his results.
I asked him to prepare a total of 25
of these nest boxes for me to test on
the Aldo Leopold Audubon Society’s
Bluebird Trail for the 2008 season.
Table 1 reports the data collected by
Audubon monitors in the 2008 season.
A total of 22 of the 25 PVC nest boxes
Table 1. Prevention of House Sparrow Occupancy by Gary Gaard
PVC Boxes: 2008 Season (Birds produced per box).
SPECIES
PVC
STANDARD
AUDUBON
TOTAL
HOSP CONTROL
w/o HOSP’s
ALAS TRAIL
(22 Boxes)
(47 Boxes)
(894 Boxes)
(963 Boxes)
EABL
1.18
1.96
4.84
4.59
TRES
1.45
2.16
1.03
1.05
EABL + 2.63
4.12
5.87
5.64
TRES
Wisconsin Bluebird
Amber Mealman, Cody Meyers,
Nikki Nelson, Storme Nelson,
Jessica Peterson & Bailey Woodruff
Washington(12): Jean Hamilton, Sr.
Janet Heder, Kip Jacobs, Dennis
Loeffler, Art Melius, Donald
Metzger, Judy Piaro, Tom Schaefer,
Lora Shreiber and Tim, Carla &
Clayton Stoffel
Waukesha(19): Harry Auchter, Melissa
Bruder, Mike Fort, Gerald Gerndt,
Greg Harmon, John & Pat Heiden,
Donald Herrick, Shari Kastner,
Anne Knoff, Ellen Krzyston, Glee
Leet, Anne Moretti, Dan Savin, Jerry
Schoen, Bob Tamm, Paul & Ilene
Kronschnabel & Mel Schultz
Waupaca(13): Robert & Deb Benada,
Fred Heinnitz, Steve Petznick, Ed
Mathwig, Ginny Rieves, Daniel
Schultz, Brad & Jean Sherman, Bill
& Gloria Smith, Susan Smith &
Chuck Stringer
Waushara(2): Bob Fox & Sally Martin
Winnebago(4): Gerald Breuer, Steve
Beuchel, Kay Lettau & John Zeinert
Wood(11): Bill Clendenning, Kent
Hall, Shirley Klapperich, Don &
Karen Haralson, Mike Moran,
Brenda Spencer, Gary & Connie
Stout, David Thiel & Bonnie Waack.
were used in this experiment. They
were substituted for wooden boxes
immediately after they were occupied
by HOSP’s. Data from 47 other nest
boxes with HOSP occupancy were also
collected. The technique used allowed
HOSP hens to lay and start incubating their eggs—only then were nests
& eggs destroyed. This technique was
repeated when needed.
Here are the results of our experiments:
1) PVC nest boxes were 100% effective in preventing HOSP occupancy. NO PVC nest box had any sign
of HOSP nest building after replacing the wooden nest boxes.
2) PVC boxes were poor producers of EABL’s: 66% less than our
Standard HOSP control system
and 289% less than the number
produced on the Audubon Trail as
a whole
3) PVC boxes were better producers
of Tree Swallows (TRES’s) then
EABL’s (+23%), more than double
the difference (10%) with our
Standard HOSP control system.
(continued on page 6)
5
Spring 2009
(continued from page 5)
4) Neither PVC boxes nor our
Standard HOSP control system
resulted in methods that were effective in producing large numbers of
bluebirds.
Other studies I have conducted have
shown that PVC houses are more attractive to TRES’s than EABL’s (EABL Trail
at Hunt Hill Audubon) and actually
depress bluebird production compared
to wooden nest boxes (Ft. McCoy Trail
in 2007).
At Hunt Hill Audubon (Washburn
Co.), I did a retrospective nest analysis
of about 40 nest boxes at the end of
the 2006 season. The 28 PVC boxes
were Gilbertson models that were
thinner walled than the Gaard boxes.
But absolutely NO EABL’s nested in
them. Of the 12 Peterson boxes placed
in decent habitat, 7 had EABL’s nest
in them (the other five had TRES nest
attempts). It was obvious that wooden
boxes were more appealing to EABL’s
than thin-walled, Gilbertson PVC boxes.
At Ft. McCoy (Monroe Co.), we did
an experiment with wooden vs. PVC
nest boxes in the 2007 season. We put
up a total of 120 nest boxes. They were
put out in a trail of 4 wooden, NABSStyle, followed by one 6” diameter,
thick-walled PVC nest box (96 wooden
vs. 24 PVC). For that season, the
wooden boxes produced an average of
6 fledglings per box compared to the 5
fledglings/box for the PVC nest boxes.
In summary, I can say with confidence
that the Gary Gaard house stops HOSP
nesting, but depresses EABL production
and enhances TRES production. This
result is consistent with information
collected at Hunt Hill Audubon and Ft.
McCoy. At this time I do recommend
wooden nest boxes (NABS-Style
preferred) over the use of PVC nest
boxes to increase bluebird production.
When it comes to preventing EABL
nesting depression by HOSP’s, the
Audubon Control system has not
worked well. At this time, the best
course of action is to put nest boxes
away from House Sparrow habitat
and/or trap and remove them from the
habitat. For the 2009 season, we are
going to try nest box trapping for those
sites that appear attractive to HOSP’s.
Wisconsin Bluebird
Show Your
Appreciation
Ellen Lafouge, BRAW Community
Relations
“Gratitude is the most exquisite
form of courtesy.”
~ Jacques Maritain
Who doesn’t appreciate being appreciated? Golf courses and parks
are becoming integral to BRAW’s
conservation efforts by willingly and
enthusiastically making their often
prime habitat available for bluebird
trails. If you have been permitted
to establish a bluebird trail at a golf
course, cemetery or park, whether
private, city, county or state, consider
a simple and easy way to thank those
who have made it possible. Present
them with a certificate of recognition
and appreciation for their shared
partnership with BRAW and support
for Wisconsin bluebird conservation.
You can purchase embossed parchment certificate paper at office supply stores, and it’s easy to set up and
print a customized certificate using
a basic word processing program
such as MS Word. There are readymade frames specifically sized for
certificates, called document frames.
A small investment in materials and
time looks great and goes a long way
when presented to your golf course
or park supervisor. Not only are you
acknowledging and recognizing their
bluebird conservation partnership,
but your gift of appreciation is appreciated in return.
I can provide you with a BRAW
custom certificate of appreciation
suitable for presentation. Send
the information to me at [email protected]. I will print a
certificate and send it to you.
Then simply sign, frame and
present.
Mee-Kwon Park Golf Course
where Ellen Lafouge has her very
successful bluebird trail.
6
Spring 2009
Non-vented Boxes
and Black Flies:
New Findings
by Kent Hall
It is known that black flies kill a
wide range of birds from domestic
turkeys & chickens to wild birds
(including bluebird chicks)
[http://creatures.ifas.ufl.
edu/livestock/bfly.htm].
These insects breed and
develop in slow moving
water, not lakes, ponds or
marshes. Outbreaks of these
flies often occur in heavy
rainfall extremes, even when
streams are only seasonal.
After hatching, adult
females (not males) seek
blood meals. They can fly
up to 10 miles from their
hatching sites for these
blood meals. They locate
prey in the same way as
mosquitoes, by detecting
the CO2 produced by birds
or mammals. The blood
meal is taken by “cutting
mouthparts” that leave
painful wounds. If you
lose entire broods of chicks, check
carefully on the featherless parts of
the body where circular bite marks
are readily observed (Pg. 4, WB, Vol.
20, #2).
In previous articles in WI Bluebird
(WB), Gary Gaard has indicated
that closing vents in nest boxes will
prevent occupation by black flies
and will therefore prevent bluebird
chick deaths. In the Vol. 20, #2 Issue
of the WB (Pg. 4 & 5) he stated: “The
black fly will enter a vented nest box
or a loosely constructed nest box but
will not enter nest boxes that do not
have ventilation holes”. My article,
on the other hand, presents data that
documents the death of bluebird
chicks in unvented boxes and refutes
the “Gaardian black fly hypothesis”.
Black flies hatch out in June and
affect only broods that develop
after these hatches (usually 2nd & 3rd
broods). In the previous 6 years on the
Audubon Trail (2033 Nest Box Years),
there were no known deaths by black
flies. In June of 2008, many areas of
Wisconsin suffered torrential rains.
Wisconsin Bluebird
Most nest boxes on the Audubon trail
that I coordinate are located in central
Wisconsin where rainfall was less
extensive than in other areas of the
state.
The exception, however, was our
sub-trail at Ft. McCoy. Rainfall was
exceptionally heavy there in June.
Our Ft. McCoy sub-trail monitors,
Craig & Laurie Bartholomew (see
photo), started reporting loss of large
numbers of chicks in early July and
these losses continued until early
August. There was a total loss of
80 chicks on their 99 nest box trail,
unprecedented for the Audubon
trail, and extremely stressful as a
monitoring experience. It is hoped
that this article will make such
experiences more understandable and,
hopefully, less traumatic to any others
that might experience such events.
I suggested to the Bartholomews that
they start collecting samples and send
them to the USGS National Wildlife
Health Center in Madison. They
collected specimens and solicited the
help of David J. Beckman, Wildlife
Program Manager, at Ft. McCoy, who
also helped collect specimens and
arranged for their transport to the
USGS Center.
On Sept. 6, Dr. Anne E. Ballman,
DVM, Ph.D., Wildlife Disease
Specialist with the USGS Center,
sent an analysis of the findings of
the Center. Several of the chicks that
7
were sent were too badly decomposed
to analyze but for those that could be
analyzed, no deaths were attributed
to West Nile virus, pesticides or
bacterial & fungi infections. The only
cause of death found was due to black
flies (both body lacerations and adults
located in ear canals were confirmed).
For the past several summers, Terry
Glanzman of Mondovi, has
found nestlings killed by
black flies in his “K-boxes”.
It was thought that black
fly intrusion into the K-Box
was due to the larger sized
opening. However, the
results from standardsized, oval openings of the
unvented, NAB’s-Style boxes
at Ft. McCoy, indicates that
no nest box is safe from
black fly intrusion. In fact,
Gary Gaard also had black
fly, chick deaths in unvented
nest boxes last summer as
well (Pat Ready, Personal
Communication).
So where does this leave
us? The major reason to
completely eliminate vent
holes or to at least plug them
in April & May, is to prevent
cold-related loss of chicks & eggs. So
those still with vent holes in their
nest boxes should plug them if they
are not plugged already. To use your
plugs for cold and vented boxes, use
a temporary piece of wood placed
over the vents with a screw in the
middle. A simple twist on or about
June 1 will then allow ample venting
in the warmer periods of the season.
Still, we permanently plug vents on
the Audubon trail and have found
very few deaths attributable to heat,
so permanently plugged vents work
as well.
At this time, it appears that no nest
box for cavity nesting songbirds
is immune from intrusion and
subsequent ravages of black flies.
Furthermore, there is no known way
to prevent them from entering nest
boxes. Luckily, black fly infestations
seem to be involved mostly with high
rainfalls. When heavy rains hit your
bluebird trails in late May or June, be
prepared for possible black fly hatches
which could impact your 2nd or 3rd
broods of nestlings.
Spring 2009
From the Pages of Wisconsin
Bluebird Newsletter:
Looking Back
By Don Bragg, Rhinelander
5 Years Ago, Spring 2004
A wetlands map of Wisconsin
produced by the Department of
Natural Resources at the request
of Data Collection and Analysis
chairman Joe O’Halloran shows that
the state has five times more surface
area of wetlands than inland lakes and
streams.
The wetlands map was compiled by
biologist Ron Gatti using the WDNR
Geographic Information System
(GIS) software. The map is printed
in the centerfold of the Spring 2004
Wisconsin Bluebird newsletter. A
glance at the map shows Wisconsin
wetlands to be concentrated across the
northern and eastern counties where
feeder streams flow toward rivers.
“There is a strong inverse
relationship between bluebird
productivity and tree swallow
productivity (in wetland areas),” says
O’Halloran.
10 Years Ago, Spring 1999
More than 10,000 bluebirds were
reported fledged by BRAW monitors
in 1998 compared to the 6,000 or so
reported fledged in 1997, from about
the same number of boxes, reports
Joe O’Halloran, Data Collection and
Analysis chair.
In the years 1996, 1997, and 1998,
paired boxes dropped from about 1
out of every 2 boxes, to 1 out of 3, to
one out of 4, respectively (statewide
averages).
Bluebird info –
www.braw.org
Wisconsin Bluebird
Other factors at
work to reach the
bluebirds fledged
per box record was
the decline in the
use of deep boxes.
The Peterson box
became the most
widely used box in
Wisconsin, Monitors continue to adopt
effective raccoon protection (such as
the rebar/conduit post system), and
the weather during the nesting season
“couldn’t have been better.”
****
Phil and Julie Hineman of LaValle,
WI reported success in deterring
house sparrows by using short lengths
of ¼” diameter white nylon rope that
were stapled to the forward edge of
two nest boxes and allowed to dangle
just below the entrance holes of the
boxes. The ropes were attached to the
box roofs on July 12 after sparrows
had taken to perching on the boxes.
From then on, the sparrows avoided
the boxes as did Robins and Redwinged blackbirds.
The ropes do not bother the bluebirds
and they will even cling to the
ropes before flying into the box, the
Hinemans stated.
15 Years Ago, Spring 1994
Placing bluebird nest boxes in poor
habitat where the birds come in
conflict with European starlings, house
wrens, squirrels, mice, cats, raccoons,
other small animals. Pesticides will
produce a bluebird “sink” population,
wrote BRAW editor Don Bragg.
However, in the same issue, BRAW
director Warren Close of Salem, WI
said, “…the only bluebirds I have seen
down here nested in “sink” habitats.
One nest is located in an apple orchard
very close to farm buildings and very
close to a thick woods. The other
bluebird nest is in my own backyard,
which violates practically every rule of
good habitat (woodland, brush, pine
plantation, rural buildings and tall,
dense crop plants [corn] nearby…yet it
produces bluebirds.”
****
Washing of hands after handling
nest box materials and avoidance of
dust when cleaning out nest boxes are
precautions that should be taken, says
an article about hantavirus or “Four
8
Corner” illness.
According to epidemiologist Jamie
Childs of the Center for Disease
Control, there is no reason to panic
about hantavirus. The rodents most
commonly infected with the disease
are the deer mice of woods and fields.
Good tools for cleaning next boxes
are a small paint brush and putty
knife. Stand upwind from the work to
avoid the dust.
20 Years Ago, Spring 1989
A Department of Natural Resources
(DNR) licensing requirement that
would require blue birders to
purchase either an annual small
game hunting license for $9.60 or an
annual trapping license for $13.60 to
control unprotected house sparrows
and European starlings continued to
be appealed to the Natural Resources
Board (NRB). In the meantime, BRAW
urged members to seek a free sparrow
or starling trapping or shooting permit
from their local conservation warden.
The First Bluebird of Spring
A wintry blast (could it be the last?)
enshrouds the land in greys Still, I walk my path, despite the wrath
of March’s dwindling days.
Such a fleeting thing, this early SpringI fear my hopes will fail
for sunny days, with warming rays,
along my well-worn trail.
But then my eyes, to my surprise
detect a brighter hue…
I glance to see, in yonder tree,
My welcome friend so blue!
I’ve waited long to hear your songYou lift my spirits high!
And now I know, tho’ north winds blow,
that Spring, at last, is nigh!
— b
y Bob Tamm
Muskego, Wisconsin
Spring 2009
Downy Woodpeckers for Hire
Styrofoam on left is
formed to a nesting cavity
by a Downy Woodpecker.
A nest of bluebird, and
then a nest of wren
fledged from the nest box
this Styrofoam was in.
Styrofoam on right is
shaped to fill the cavity of
a nest box. Placed into a
bluebird house, it will fill
the nest cavity.
By Gary Gaard
Summary: You can get a woodpecker to make a nesting cavity
for bluebirds. The Downy is an interesting, hard working
employee. But he’s neither practical nor reliable.
Introduction
I knew of three instances where cavity nesters enlarged
arrow holes and then built their nest in 3-D foam archery
targets – two chickadees and one bluebird. Then, on
5/3/07, a Pat Durkin article in the Wisconsin State Journal
recounted his experience of a chickadee nesting in his
target. The Durkin article got me to thinking…
Early in my birdhouse building career, I made some
houses with 2X4 redwood floors (redwood is a very
soft wood). To my chagrin, the chickadees pecked right
through the floor of some of these houses.
Chickadee fledges on my bluebird trails have been
steadily declining. It would be nice to have more Black
Cap Chickadees. You can enjoy their repartee of song
12 months a year. I especially enjoy chickadee parents
bringing half dozen fledglings, tail feathers not yet
developed, to my urban bird feeder.
Is enlarging a cavity a mating ritual for the Black Cap?
Would providing a house that required chickadees to
enlarge a cavity stimulate nesting?
Building/placing a nest box filled with foam
Sixteen bluebird houses were built with 1 ½ X 2 ¼ inch
oval entrance holes. The sub-roof blocks ¼ inch of the
top of the entrance hole to restrict head room (to reduce
House Sparrow nesting). I use this size hole, in part, to
reduce the number of entrance holes woodpeckers enlarge
over winter.
An old piece of 4” Styrofoam was cut by band saw to
roughly fit the inside of a bluebird house. Then a fillet
knife was used to trim the piece to exactly fill the cavity of
each nest box.
November of ’07 the Styrofoam filled houses were placed
in chickadee habitat at friend, neighbor, and co-worker
homes. Some houses were in rural areas, some in urban.
A prerequisite was that the Styrofoam filled house be
placed so it could be seen from a window.
Jack Bartholmai
Downy Woodpeckers
go to work
Within days of placing
the houses I started
getting reports of
Downy Woodpeckers
hollowing cavities in
the Styrofoam. The
Downy would go into
the house and come
out with a beak full of
Styrofoam. Obviously
the Styrofoam had a
static electricity charge
Wisconsin Bluebird
as the woodpecker
couldn’t shake it
from its beak.
Downy Woodpeckers made a
cavity in half of the
Styrofoam filled
houses. No other
species started a
cavity if the Downy
didn’t. If the
Downy didn’t make The Eastern Bluebird nest with
five eggs is in a Styrofoam cavity
a cavity, no bird
nested in the house. formed by a Downy Woodpecker.
I thought the
Downy might nest if the house was higher off the ground,
so some were moved to a height of 10 or more feet. The
Downy did not nest in any houses.
Chickadees didn’t start their own nest cavity
The chickadee never made its own cavity. However,
once a woodpecker had started a cavity, the chickadee
pair would finish the cavity to their specification.
Who nested in the Styrofoam filled nest boxes?
Black Cap Chickadees, wrens, Tree Swallows, and
Eastern Bluebirds fledged broods in the Styrofoam cavities
made by Downy Woodpeckers.
There are city birds and country birds. I live in the
city, so it’s not likely my yard will have blue birds or
Tree Swallows. But I was fortunate as a Downy started
the cavity. Three nests fledged – one chickadee and two
wrens. The Downy likes to sleep late in the morning – in
mid-winter I’d see him leave the house several hours after
sunrise.
Another possibility
Maybe I can get a Downy Woodpecker to make an
insulated roost box.
Sometimes bluebirds overwinter in Wisconsin. Certainly
they migrate back too early – March can get pretty cold,
especially at night. We know that bluebirds freeze if the
temperature drops too far or too fast.
Bluebirds will roost in boxes, up to 25 birds in one box.
This fall I’m going to place some 2X normal nest box size,
Styrofoam filled, roost boxes. A Styrofoam insulated box
should give pretty good protection against cold, wet, and
wind. 9
Spring 2009
Bluebirds Challenge
Winter in Wisconsin
By Leif Marking
The Eastern Bluebird traditionally
migrates in late fall to southern or
gulf coast states to avoid the rigorous
winters in the northern states that
offer limited food sources and cold
temperatures. During the past
decade, however, many of the winter
seasons have been milder than usual,
and some bluebirds have ventured
longer prior to migrating, Few were
reported to stay all winter.
Despite recent drastically more
rugged winter weather, unusual
numbers of bluebirds are sighted and
recorded in Christmas bird counts in
many Wisconsin regions. A number
of folks are communicating their
sightings, and some are reporting that
bluebirds are spending the nights in
their empty bluebird nest boxes for
protection from the cold. Many others
report that bluebirds appear routinely
in cold weather at their heated water
bath or bird feeders.
Some folks are concerned the
bluebirds might starve and they ask
what kind of feed and cold protection
to offer. My usual response to these
inquiries is that bluebirds obviously
survived in this country for hundreds
of years without handouts of food or
heated water in winter, and migration
has been mandatory for survival.
So what has changed this past
decade that would encourage or allow
bluebirds to overwinter in Wisconsin?
Certainly the half dozen milder
winters were conducive for healthy
populations of bird species to expand
their winter range. Other factors
include the increased interest and
awareness of people to commit efforts
to helping the birds with new and
innovative bird-feeding technologies
as promoted commercially by
suppliers of bird feed.
Perhaps the most important
attraction for keeping bluebirds
in the region is the heated water
bath, and sales of these have soared
dramatically these past few years.
Mealworms and other concocted
feed items are now available by mail
order throughout the year. Winter
overnight roost boxes are advertized
Wisconsin Bluebird
to offer the birds protection from cold
winter temperatures. Also many
bluebird nest boxes are available for
overnight roosting.
With the more severe winter
conditions of 2007 and again in
2008 the situation has changed
markedly. For example La Crosse
WI, experienced all-time record snow
accumulation in December with
frequent below zero temperatures.
An ice storm in early January 2009
covered much of the natural food
items that bluebirds especially depend
on for daily sustenance and survival.
On January 8, 2009, the La Crosse
Tribune Outdoors Section featured
a photo of 10 bluebirds on a snowy,
heated water bath, and many other
newspapers and magazines were
reporting similar sightings.
Many of these bluebirds may perish
attempting to survive this year’s harsh
winter conditions as food sources
dwindle. Good nutrition is vital in
winter to maintain body temperatures
sufficient to avoid hypothermia that
often leads to mortality. This is also
important to maitain the energy
necessary for mobility to avoid
predators. Bluebirds that are in poor
health perhaps lack the energy and
orientation for migration.
One of my bluebird friends has
found two dead male bluebirds of
the four that had been roosting in
the box in her back yard. She had
been cleaning and bedding the box
routinely to improve their opportunity
for survival. She offered them
mealworms but they did not consume;
their excretions contained various pits
from berries. Her evaluation of this
precarious situation was that these
bluebirds should have migrated, and
she would be willing to remove the
nest box in winter to prevent another
occurrence in the future. Other
bluebirds are likely to perish this
year in boxes that are not routinely
monitored or in natural cavities.
The majority of bluebirds attempting
to overwinter and those reported dead
are males and most likely juveniles
that have not experienced migration.
They could be late season-born and
did not mature sufficiently to gain the
physiological character or incentive
that leads them to migrate. Or they
may have been born to parents that
10
successfully negotiated through
moderate winters in Wisconsin.
However, humans may well influence
their migration patterns more in
winter by offering desirable food,
heated water baths, and nesting boxes
for night roosting.
Bird experts maintain that wild birds
receive only about 15 percent of their
winter diet from bird feeders. They
can survive comfortably without
handouts. The feeders are actually
supplemental. In fact, the greatest
numbers of birds in this country live,
survive, and thrive in environments
that are devoid of handouts. There is
good evidence that wild birds could
survive without these handouts, but
the handouts attract birds to the great
pleasure and satisfaction of humans.
Bluebirds and other insect-eating
birds are not accustomed to feeding
on seeds and fruits and do so as a last
resort for survival. They are incapable
of surviving most northern winters,
and that is why they traditionally
migrate to warmer climates in the
winter.
So is climate change the primary
reason for bluebirds to alter their
inherited tendencies of migration? Or
are human activities and innovations
in bird feeding responsible for the
bluebirds delaying or refraining
from migration? If global warming
develops noticeably in our lifetime,
we can expect birds to respond
accordingly. However, we must be
more cautious in our generosity of
handouts for bluebirds if we find that
we are discouraging migration. I
suspect there are many bluebirds in
Wisconsin this winter that will perish
in this bone-chilling cold. Some
birders fear the stage could be set for
heavy bluebird mortality.
I have a multitude of winter birds
at my feeder constantly devouring
sunflower seed in the absence of
a heated water bath. We see no
bluebirds lingering around the feeder
and none are roosting in nearby
empty bluebird nest boxes. For the
sake of bluebirds, perhaps use of
these seemingly harmless heated
water baths by well-meaning people
deserves further serious consideration.
Spring 2009
Bluebird B&B?
stove, and my
dog at my feet,
not-so patiently
waited to be fed.
I was reluctant
to put down
my binoculars
in case I should
miss a streak of
blue. My daily
count went from
Fabulous Five
to Sensational Six to Notorious Nine, when finally on
Christmas Day I had my whole family counting from both
upstairs and downstairs windows. Shouting out numbers as we saw each bird swoop into the house, the count
reached nine and I lowered my binoculars. Then Mom
shouted, “TEN!” It’s been Terrific Ten ever since.
I don’t know the results of studies done about multipleroosting bluebirds. I’ve been fascinated to see them (about
evenly males and females, I surmised) line up on the branch
in the morning, where they sit for several minutes, preening, until all roommates have emerged. Sometimes one or
more will fly back to the house and look in. Sometimes several re-enter the house. But once the last bluebird is finally
out and all are assembled, they all take off together, flying
in the general direction of the creek. So I wonder if a drink
is the first thing they seek. The only evidence I found of
what they might be eating was a red, seeded berry that was
frozen to the entrance hole one day. It looked similar to a
raspberry. Though I’ve made a “Bluebird Mix” primarily of
currants, corn meal, melted suet and sunflower fines, I’ve
never observed any of them sampling the fare, which hangs
in a screen-bottom feeder near their preferred branches of
the walnut tree. Nor do they visit my birdbaths as the ones
who nest here do in the spring, summer and fall.
If I ever do get into the hospitality business, I will
undoubtedly never have as easy and enjoyable a season as
during my first winter of the Pink B&B, hosting my impeccable, gorgeous blue guests, the Terrific Ten.
By Nina Cheney
I don’t know if, deep down, I’ve always wanted to run a
bed and breakfast. I do know that, since I noticed some
Eastern bluebirds here on Dec. 8, I’ve relished my new role
as proprietor of the “Pink B&B,” my styrofoam-insulated
Peterson box on the far edge of our little restored prairie
near Mt. Horeb in Dane County. My over-wintering guests
couldn’t be more cooperative. They never complain about
their standard-sized room. They’re up and out early, making themselves scarce for the entire day, and then return like
clockwork in late afternoon when, in an orderly fashion,
they gracefully re-enter the house entrance one by one and
remain “without a peep” until morning. Their winter routine is set. Me? Actually, I don’t even make breakfast. All
I do is enjoy their presence...and I do enjoy them very, very
much.
When I first realized my “Blue Man Group” was using
the old Peterson about 150 yards from my front door, I was
cautioned by a fellow birder to open the house to encourage
them find a better place to roost during the cold months. Perhaps a tree cavity that would provide more insulation,
he told me. Insulation. Hmm, I thought. Insulation! That’s
when I decided to cover the box with some scrap pieces of
thick, pink styrofoam one day while the guests were out. That afternoon, when the birds returned, I watched with
anticipation as they swooped down from the walnut tree
one by one and hovered in front of the house, checking it
out, then returning to the branch. Time after time the birds
flew down, even landed on the house, but they just weren’t
sure. By the next day though, they had accepted the strange
renovation and pink or no pink, reclaimed the place as their
own.
I’m a counter, and I like to “get it right,” so it took several
days to determine exactly how many bluebird guests I had. It seemed more accurate for me to count them in the morning (being available then), though often I stood bleary-eyed
and blinking, glued to the window at dawn’s first light for
minutes at a time while my teapot steamed away on the
BRAW Welcomes
New Members & Donors
Mark Lesar – Mequon – Gift from Ellen & Jean-Pierre
Lafouge
Phillip Farrington – Bangor
Duane Doering – Wausau – Gift from Clark Mortenson
Oney Sattell – Greendale
Susan Krueger – Howards Grove
Joann Engel – Appleton – Gift from Robert & Susan Kinde
David Baird – Salem
Ronald Christel – Valder
Keith Nagel – Juneau – Gift from Robert & Karen Nagel
Luxemburg Casco Middle School – Casco – Gift from
Don Pritzl
Darrel Eberhardt - Hixton
James Sterzinger – Marshfield - New Life member
The word keeps spreading, bluebirds are addictive!
BRAW welcomes these new members and appreciates
those who renew and especially those who send in a
donation for bluebird trail development. This will help
with Operation Top State and our goal to reach 30,000
bluebirds fledged!
Remember a gift membership to BRAW helps spread the
word and helps the bluebirds too.
Lawrence & Bonnie Kairys – Sheboygan
David A Speigle – Wooster, OH – Gift from David & Lynn
Speigle
Walter Jost – Muskego – Gift from Robert Tamm
Inger Astrin – Milwaukee
Sandra Vortanz – Waupaca
Robert Jaworski – Pulaski
Kent Stephan – Holman
Wisconsin Bluebird
$100 donations received:
Kristine Vaughn - Stoughton - $100 trail donation
Dr. Tim Freeman - Onieda - $100 donation
Nancy Crawford – Iron Mtn, MI - $100 trail donation.
11
Spring 2009
BPCA Contributes
to BRAW
By Leif Marking
The Brice Prairie Conservation Association (BPCA) membership approved
a contribution to the Bluebird Restoration Association of Wisconsin (BRAW)
last summer provided the donation
was in the form of bluebird boxes that
could be marketed by BRAW. The
plan was for BRAW to sell the boxes
for $20 each at the Madison Garden
Expo in February and other similar
events. The proceeds were to be used
by the BRAW Top State Project to
expand the numbers of bluebird boxes
and trails in many Wisconsin counties.
BPCA purchased enough lumber for
100 bluebird boxes, and Fred Craig
and I proceeded to build them. Fred
and I have our shops equipped with
the necessary tools to do this kind of
work, and we are the main box builders for BPCA. They are the NABS-style
boxes made of cedar lumber that is 7/8
inches thick and smooth on one side
for easy cleaning. These boxes were
constructed to be convertible to vent
or no vent simply by fastening the side
panels to the front and back panels
with screws that are removable. Once
these boxes are sold, BRAW should
have $2,000 to invest in the Top State
Project.
In November Kent Hall contacted
BPCA to find out if we could construct 250 or so boxes for his Top State
Program needs this spring. Kent is the
driving force in the effort that has already resulted in recruitment of many
new members and monitors and a
dramatic increase in the production of
bluebirds. Since the need was so voluminous, Kent suggested we cut the
costs by using standard pine boards
rather than the more expensive cedar.
This resulted in material costs of less
than half the cost of cedar material.
Fred and I purchased the pine lumber
on sale at Menards and proceeded to
construct NABS-style bluebird boxes.
To save on lumber we eliminated the
lower extension on the back panel
since that portion is not necessary with
the new mounting systems. Despite
Parkinson’s disease and knee problems, I can work a couple hours before
a rest, and with that meager effort I
constructed 12 to 15 boxes a day. But
big jobs can be accomplished a little at
a time! Together we constructed 276
boxes in November. They are available for the returning bluebirds in
spring.
These pine boxes are very serviceable
and functional, however they may not
last quite as long as cedar boxes. The
cedar boxes, of thicker lumber, offer
better insulation against cold in spring
and heat in summer, but box temperature is often not an issue in Wisconsin.
The bluebirds will treasure them!
ALAS Box Building Blitz!
In August the Aldo Leopold Audubon Society (ALAS) of Stevens Pt.
held a box building workshop and
built over 500 NABS Style boxes for
BRAW. The event was organized by
Kent Hall. Pat Ready photos
Joe Schultz adding the finishing
touch.
Leif Marking inspects the nest boxes built for use by BRAW for the Operation Top State effort.
Kent Hall secures boxes.
Wisconsin Bluebird
12
Spring 2009
BRAW COUNTY COORDINATORS for 2009
Once each year, Wisconsin Bluebird newsletter publishes a list of BRAW county coordinators to help the public locate their local bluebird program
contact person.
ADAMS
Myron Beyers
393 Gale Dr.
Wis Dells, WI 53965
608-586-4833
DANE
Patrick Ready
1210 Oakwood Ct.
Stoughton, WI 53589
608-873-1703
ASHLAND
Connie Uhlig
RFD 1 Box 243
Glidden, WI 54527
715-264-3892
DODGE
Jack Bartholmai
N7229 Hickory Spring Rd
Beaver Dam, WI 53916
920-887-1505
[email protected]
BARRON
Luke & Dan Hostetler
2383 13th Ave
Cameon, WI 54822
715-458-4628
BAYFIELD
Metro Maznio III
54750 Krafts Pt Rd
Cable, WI 54821
715-798-3561
[email protected]
BROWN
Deborah Nitka
2336 Wildwood Dr.
Green Bay, WI 54302
920-465-8512
[email protected]
BURNETT
Iier Anderson
27302 Hill Road
Spooner, WI
715-635-4534
DOOR
Roy & Charlotte Lukes
PO Box 105
Egg Harbor WI 54209
920-823-2478
Douglas County
Charles Bergsten
1072 E USHY 2
Poplar WI 54864
364-2679
DUNN
James Michalski
Rt 1 Box 141
Downing, WI 54734
715-265-4588
EAU CLAIRE
No Appointee
Lafayette
Carol McDaniel
14953 Hwy 23
Darlington, WI 53530
BUFFALO
Terry Glanzman
W6750 Hemlock Rd
Mondovi, WI 54755
715-875-4771
CALUMET
Dick Nikolai
3369 W Brewster St
Appleton, WI 54914
920-832-1804
[email protected]
CHIPPEWA
Debbie Anderson
19454 Co Rd O
Cadott, WI 54727
715-382-4639
CLARK
Dennis Owens
N4327 Witte Ave
Neilsville, WI 54456
715-743-4477
[email protected]
COLUMBIA
Ryan Walden
W11811 Wall Street
Portage, WI 53901
608-745-1568
CRAWFORD
Lane Poulin
44045 Wheatville
Gays Mills, WI 54631
608-872-2156
FLORENCE
No Appointee
FOND DU LAC
Larry Vine
W10145 Hwy 49 E
Waupun, WI 53963
920-382-6770
FOREST
No Appointee
GRANT
Alvin J Bontreger
P O Box 100
Beetown, WI 53802
608-794-2212
GREEN
No Appointee
GREEN LAKE
Sherman Griffin
605 Co Hwy FF
Dalton, WI 53926
920-394-3244
IOWA
Dale & Doris Moody
6564 Kimberly Way
De Forest, WI
608-846-5024
IRON
Janice Borth
Fire #2941 Thompson Tr.
P O Box 277
Mercer, WI 54547
715-476-2388
JACKSON
Russ & John Schrinner
Box 14
Melrose, WI 54642
608-488-6891
[email protected]
JEFFERSON
Richard Wanie
W5920 Lee Drive
Fort Atkinson, WI 53538
920-563-6274
JUNEAU
Pat Koblenz
W4783 26th St. East
Necedah, WI 54646
608-565-7490
KENOSHA
John Meyer
1710 29th St
Kenosha, WI 53140
262-654-3686
KEWAUNEE
Don Pritzl
N5766 Birchwood Ln
Luxenburg, WI 54217
920-845-2436
LA CROSSE
Leif Marking
W7917 CTH ZB
Onalaska, WI 54650
608-781-0323
[email protected]
LANGLADE
Pete Solin Jr.
W8845 10th Ave
Antigo, WI 54409
715-627-2267 or
715-627-4317
[email protected]
LINCOLN
Jim Blankenheim
W3752 Spring Creek Dr.
Tomahawk, WI 54487
715-453-9465
MANITOWOC
No Appointee
Marathon County
Claire Romanak
7175 Nehrbass Road
Athens WI 54411
715-257-1905
MARINETTE
Edward Kowalski
N2075 Shore Dr
Marinette, WI 54143
715-732-8803
MARQUETTE
No Appointee
MENOMINEE
No Appointee
MILWAUKEE
Ellen Lafouge
9154 N. Fielding Rd
Bayside, WI 53217
414-352-6697
[email protected]
MONROE
No appointee
OCONTO
Pete Sytsma
Rt 1 10549 W Post Lk Rd
Coleman, WI 54112
920-897-4799
[email protected]
ONEIDA
Don Bragg
4303 Timber Lane
Rhinelander, WI 54501
715-362-2090
OUTAGAMIE
Curt Sommer
E8124 Cut Off Rd
New London, WI 54961
920-982-5675
OZAUKEE
Andy & Terry Holschbach
N5075 Co Rd U
Glenbeulah, WI 53023
PIERCE
Jim Beix
W11268
River Falls, WI 54022
715-425-6981
PEPIN
Connie Anderson
N2543 County Rd J.
Stockholm, WI 54769
715-448-2029Conniea111@
hotmail.com
RICHLAND
Jane Furchgott
S10093 A Bear Valley Rd
Lone Rock, WI 53556
ROCK
Harv Kucaba
3711 N County Line Rd
Delavan, WI 53115
608-883-2456
RUSK
Don Bartig
216 W Phillips St.
Ladysmith, WI
715-532-3303
SAUK
No Appointee
SAWYER
Diane Chambers
11734 N Harper Rd
Hayward, WI 54843
715-634-2451
SHAWANO
No Appointee
SHEBOYGAN
No Appointee
PRICE
No Appointee
RACINE
John Meyer
1710 29th St
Kenosha, WI 53140
262-654-3686
WASHBURN
Gary Dunsmoor
N4961 Beaverbrook Ave
Spooner, WI
715-635-9180
WASHINGTON
Sherry Ullius
4820 Hillside Rd
West Bend, WI 53095
262-644-6178
WASHINGTON
Mary Holleback
720 Madison Ave
West Bend, WI 53095
262-335-9843
[email protected]
WAUKESHA
Cathy Chybowski
W345 S4011 Virgin Forest Dr.
Dousman, WI 53118
414-965-2189
ST CROIX
No Appointee
WALWORTH
Jerry Schoen
682 Foxglove Lane
Whitewater, WI 53190
TAYLOR
Dwight Offord
W13824 Hwy 64
Lublin, WI 54447
715-447-8644
WAUPACA
Amanda Beyer
290 Water St.
Ogdensburg, WI 54962
715-256-1260
TREMPEALEAU
Catherine McCalvin
W25417 Spaulding Rd
Trempealeau, WI 54661
608-534-7701
[email protected]
WAUSHARA
Tom Whalley
Rt 1 Box 223
Hancock, WI 54943
715-249-5605
VERNON
Art Brieske
623 13th Ave
Onalaska, WI 54650
608-783-3148
Shannon Johnson
Polk County
P.O. Box 208
Julie Fox
851 Vincent St. S Park Road 35 Ontario WI 54651
608-337-4779
St. Croix Falls WI 54024
715-483-3747
PORTAGE
Joe Schultz
5221 Cheryl’s Dr
Plover, WI 54467
715-341-5521
[email protected]
VILAS
No Appointee
WINNEBAGO
John Zeinert
2699 Wrenwood Lane
Neenah, WI 54956
920-725-8158
WOOD
Jeffery Zimmerman
6330 Pine Ridge Trail
Wis Rapids, WI 54494
715-325-5270
2009 BRAW Annual
Convention Set
The BRAW, 2009 Annual Convention
will be held on Sept. 19, 2009, at the
Kickapoo Valley Nature Reserve Visitor’s Center on Hwy. 131, just north of
Lafarge, WI. More information will
be in the next issue or call Kent Hall
at 715/344-8081 or email
[email protected]
More information about bluebirds, nest boxes and monitoring forms can be found on www.braw.org.
Wisconsin Bluebird
13
Spring 2009
Attracting Purple
Martins
Purple Martin Conservation
Association
Educate Yourself. Learn everything
you can about Purple Martins. Talk
with other martin landlords and visit
the web site (www.purplemartin. org)
of the Purple Martin Conservation
Association (PMCA), an international
nonprofit orga­nization dedicated to
aiding Purple Martins through land­
lord education and scientific research.
Read the book: Enjoying Purple Martins
More by Richard Wolinski and or the
Stokes’ Purple Martin Book, by Donald
& Lillian Stokes. Join the PMCA and
receive the informative Purple Martin
Update magazine.
Choose the Right Lo­cation. (See
diagrams) Martins have very specific
space requirements. One of the main
reasons peo­ple fail to attract martins
is that they place their martin housing
incorrectly. Martin housing should
be in the center of the largest open
spot available, about 30-120 feet from
human housing. Place the housing
where you can see it so you can enjoy
watching and hearing the martins.
There should be no trees within 40
feet, preferably 60 feet, of the housing.
In the southern half of their breeding
range, martins are less fussy about
house placement, so sometimes
housing can be within 25 feet of
trees and still attract martins. But the
farther housing is placed from trees,
the better. Housing height should be
in the range of 10-17 feet. Don’t attach
wires that lead to trees, buildings, or
the ground to the house or pole, as
they may allow predators to access the
housing.
Put Up Manageable Housing. Your
chances for success will be better
if your housing is easy to manage.
Choose a pole that telescopes, or is
equipped with a winch or rope &
pulley, and housing that has easy
access to the compart­ments. Houses
and gourds should be white, or a
light color. White housing attracts
martins best and reflects sunlight,
keeping nestlings cooler. Cavity
Wisconsin Bluebird
floor dimensions should be at least
6” x 6” but larger cavities (7” x 12”)
are preferred by the martins, and
offer better protection from preda­
tors and rain. Unfortunately, larger
compartments are also attractive to
European Starlings, but a modification
to the entrance hole will minimize
starling problems. A round entrance
hole of 2-1/8” is preferred by the
martins, but a range from 1-3/4” to
2-3/8” will work. Make sure there is
adequate ventilation and drainage
in each nest on cavity. Many houses
can be improved. Add insulation
to the attic, remodel interiors to
offer larger compartments, and
add porch dividers to houses with
shared porches. Dividers keep males
from claiming extra cavities and can
improve occupancy rates. They also
keep nestlings
from wandering
to other compart­
ments where they
can steal food
from younger
nestlings, causing
them to starve.
arrival dates. (See adult migrationtiming map). Landlords should have
housing ready, but keep it closed
until some martins are back. Adult
martins can sometimes be attracted to
new sites, especially if their nesting
attempt failed the previous year, or if
the new site offers superior housing
or location. At uncolonized sites, you
can open housing when the “scouts”
are due in hopes of attracting adult
martins. But be prepared to keep
your site free of House Sparrows
and starlings (see tips on next page)
through both adult and subadult
arrival periods. Be ready to supply
single boxes or gourds for any
native nest-site competitors (Eastern
Bluebirds, Tree Swallows & Great
Crested Flycatchers) that try to claim
martin housing. Don’t be discouraged
Open Housing at
the Right Time.
At active sites,
the first martins
usually return
within a week
or two of the
previous years’
14
Spring 2009
if you are unsuccessful at attracting
adults. Keep trying while subadults
are arriving. Subadult martins (last
year’s young) will colonize new sites
or join existing sites. They begin
arriving 4 weeks after the first adults
in the northern third of the breeding
range (see migration map), 6 weeks
after adults in the center third, or 8
weeks after adults in the southern
third of the breeding range. Martin
migration is a drawn-out affair, and
martins can begin nesting up through
the end of June, range-wide. Keep
your housing ready; don’t close it up
or let other birds use it.
Increase Your Chances. A few things
can be done to make your site more
attractive to Purple Martins. Offer a
combination of houses and gourds.
Play a dawnsong recording. Add a
Purple Martin decoy or two. Place
1-2” of nesting material into each
compartment.
Don’t Close it Too Soon. Don’t close
the entrances, or take the housing
down, until late August, as fledglings
will be searching for next year’s
breeding sites in late summer.
Protect Your Housing from Predators.
Once you attract Purple Mar­tins, don’t
assume that because you never see
any predators there are none around.
Raccoons, snakes, and owls raid bird
houses at night. Few experienc­es are
more painful than losing all your
martins be­cause you didn’t equip
your poles and housing with guards.
Since all martin poles, wood or metal,
are easily climbed by rat snakes,
squirrels, and raccoons, the poles
require climbing ani­mal barriers. You
can install guards before or after your
martins have arrived. In areas with
fire ants, Teflon spray or tape, or use
a ring of petroleum jelly (or grease)
on the pole. This will stop the ants.
Grease won’t stop snakes or raccoons,
so install a pole guard, too. External
guards on the housing itself protect
against aerial raids by hawks, owls,
and crows.
Conduct Weekly Nest Checks, Daily
Walk­-unders, and Keep Written
Records. Although many landlords
are reluctant to check on their tenants
Wisconsin Bluebird
during the nesting season, it’s one of
the most valuable practices landlords
can adopt. Nest checks will not cause
martins to abandon their young.
If your martin housing raises and
lowers vertically, as it should, number
the compartments, check the nests
weekly, and keep written records.
Landlords who conduct regular nest
checks will be more successful simply
because they’ll discover any problems
in time to correct them. In addi­tion
to weekly checks, walk under the
housing daily to look for plucked
martin feathers, shed owl feathers,
cast owl pellets, thrown-out nestlings,
hatched eggshells, etc. The items
you find are clues to what’s going
on and may alert you to problems
that need your attention. We strongly
urge you to register your colony site
with the Purple Martin Conservation
Association and to participate in its
“Project Martinwatch.”
Supply These Aids. Crushed eggshell
or oystershell is a valuable dietary
supplement that supplies calcium
and grit, and helps prevent calcium
deficiencies in nestlings. Offer it all
season in an elevated platform feeder.
Eggshells should be rinsed, dried
thoroughly in a 200-degree oven (to
kill bacteria), then crushed into small
pieces. Landlords can supply nest
material by scattering dried pine
needles (long, soft ones such as White
Pine), dry twigs, or a bale of straw
in an open area. Create a supply of
mud nearby for nest building. During
martin-killing weather extremes,
toss crickets or mealworms to your
martins.
Be Prepared for Problems. Keep the
phone number of a licensed wildlife
15
rehabilita­tor or your state wildlife
agency handy. They are a sick or
injured bird’s best chance for survival.
Place fallouts back in their own nest
(your records will help). If it’s not
possible to put them back in, take
them to a rehabber. Don’t try to raise
them yourself. It’s illegal and your
good in­tentions cannot replace the
experience of a specialist. If parasites
or wet nests threaten the survival of
nestlings, replace the nest material
with clean, dry wood shavings or pine
straw. Never use pesticides in nest
boxes. It’s illegal and they are not safe
for the birds.
Practice Active Management by
Controlling House Sparrows and
European Starlings. Starlings and
House Sparrows will take over
compartments, destroy eggs, and
kill nestlings. They can also prevent
martins from nesting at unestablished
sites. Adult martins are often in­jured
or killed by starlings. Successful
martin landlords do not tolerate
these nonnative nest-site competitors.
Starlings and House Sparrows are not
protected (since they are not native
birds) and may be controlled by
trapping, shooting, and nest tear-outs.
You can also use starling-resistant
entrances (cut crescent entrances
1-3/16” high by 3” wide, and placed
no higher than 1/2” above the porch
floor). If native birds (Tree Swallows,
wrens, bluebirds, or flycatchers) try to
nest in your martin housing, close it
and put up single-unit boxes for these
desirable species elsewhere on your
property. Re-open the martin housing
once the new box has been accepted.
Keep Your Housing in Good Repair.
Remove nests and scrub housing with
a 10% bleach solution (1 part bleach
to 9 parts water). Rinse and air dry
before storing or closing for the winter.
Take care of any needed repairs now,
so you won’t be caught unprepared
next spring. All types of housing will
last longer if stored indoors over the
winter. If housing is left out, plug the
holes. Otherwise House Sparrows and
starlings will claim it in late winter
and be impossible to dislodge come
spring.
Photos by Pat Ready
Spring 2009
BRAW Online: Surf the
Bluebird Info Flyway!
Ellen Lafouge, BRAW Webmaster
Spring in Wisconsin is a great time to do some indoor
bluebirding while waiting for the weather to warm and the
Eastern Bluebirds to arrive and start raising their broods,
hopefully in your nest boxes. Tear yourself away from sighing and looking out the window at those still leafless trees
and bushes, hoping to catch a flash of heart stopping blue,
and crank up your computer for a visit to BRAW’s web site
at www.braw.org. Bluebirds are just a click away.
Once you arrive at the homepage you’ve got a lot of
choices. Be sure to check out the Calendar of Events,
which features bluebird programs, seminars and presentations being held around the state. Spring is a perfect time
to attend one of these events offered by knowledgeable,
longtime bluebirders and BRAW members. These events
are fun, inspiring and educational, and often are geared
toward the whole family. Check back often as new events
are added to the calendar regularly.
Whether you monitor a lot or a few nest boxes, or are
thinking of getting more involved in bluebirding, there is a
wealth of information to be found by clicking on Starting
a Trail. You have at your fingertips an online copy of the
BRAW Information Packet: Attracting Eastern Bluebirds and
Other Cavity Nesters, revised for 2009. This booklet pulls
together the collective experiences of people who work
especially in the interest of bluebirds, particularly those
persons who record and summarize their nest box data
Wisconsin Bluebird
16
and whom we term monitors. If you’ve got a question
about bluebirding, the chances are high that it’s going to be
answered in the BRAW Info Packet. You’ll also find in this
section of the web site a wonderful series of colorful photo
charts by professional photographers Jack Bartholmai and
Patrick Ready on
• Bluebird Chick Development – the First 14 Days;
• The Life Cycles of the Eastern Bluebird, Tree Swallow,
Chickadee and House Wren; and
• A Nest Guide to Cavity Nesters.
If building your own nestboxes sounds like a project
you’d enjoy, you’ll find downloadable plans for building
nest boxes recommended and found to be most productive by BRAW. Go to Nest Boxes from the homepage and
choose your plan.
BRAW urges bluebirders to monitor all nest boxes under
their care on a weekly basis. The Annual Bird Nesting
Survey Summary Form 21 is used to report your season’s
bird nesting data to BRAW. When September rolls around
don’t forget to send in your Form 21. Your bluebird fledges
will be included in BRAW’s efforts to become the top producing bluebird state in the country, Operation Top State.
Form 21 is available to download at Monitoring Forms.
You’ll also find other useful forms for keeping track of
your weekly monitoring.
Besides what’s already been noted, www.braw.org offers
a lot more. There are articles from recent and past issues
of the Wisconsin Bluebird, research studies, a downloadable auto fill-in new membership/renewal form (Become
a Member), a link to the BRAW online store (The BRAW
Store), information on outreach efforts,
lists of the county coordinators, board
members and other contacts, just to name
a few. You can also email BRAW with
any bluebird or membership-related
questions by using the direct link Email
BRAW. We also encourage members to
use this email link if you have a bluebird
event you’d like added to the Calendar.
For sheer pleasure and inspiration,
before you leave the web site, be sure to
take a look at the Photo Galleries, as well
as the latest Featured Photo on the homepage. I always end my BRAW web time
by listening to the beautiful recorded
songs and calls of our beloved Eastern
Bluebird, Sialia Sialis (the link to an excellent recording is just below the featured
bluebird-related quotation on the homepage). That sweet tur-a-lee is guaranteed
to keep your spirits lifted after you log
out of www.braw.org. It’s not as good as
hearing the real thing, but at this time
of year, while waiting for Spring and
the bluebirds to arrive in earnest, it sure
helps.
Spring 2009
Recommended Oval Hole Plan
NABS style Bluebird Box
Cedar, 7/8 " lumber preferred.
8" wide for top
6" wide for back, front, sides & bottom
All angle cuts are 10 degrees
Roof is 7-1/2" wide x 10-1/2 " long
Sides 9-7/8" long x 5" wide
Floor is 5" x 3-3/4"
Back & front 5-1/2" wide
2 to
2-1/4"
1-3/8"
9-7/8"
9"
Entrance 1-3/8"oval (see above)
9"
Drainage
corner cuts
5"
Front View
Side
Side
5"
Drill two 1-3/8"
holes & chisel
sides flat to oval
5-1/2"
6-5/8"
Front
3-3/4"
Roof
Floor
7-1/2"
10-1/2"
Back
approx. 1' 1-3/4"
Alternative option if desired
Pi
scr vot
ew
s
Pivot
screws
Saw
cut
6-5/8"
Recess
bottom
1 inch
Recess bottom
1/2 inch
Recess bottom
1/2 inch
Bottom opening side
Drill hole through back and side of
door to hold door closed with nail
Wisconsin Bluebird
17
Pi
scr vot
ew
s
Top opening side
Spring 2009
2008 BRAW Elected & Appointed Officers
President Joe Schultz, 5221 Cheryl’s Dr., Plover, WI 54467 • 715/3415521 [email protected] (term to 12/09)
Vice President Dr. Kent Hall, 200 Pine Bluff Rd., Stevens Point, WI
54481 • 715/344-8081 [email protected] (term to 12/09)
Secretary Patricia Heiden, W399 S5484 Hwy Z, Dousman, WI 53118 •
262/495-8595 [email protected]. (term to 12/10)
Treasurer, Mike Helgren, 1013 Georgetown Circle, Beaver Dam, WI
53916 • 920-885-4050 [email protected] (term to 12/09)
Director Fred Craig, 807 Judith Ct. Holmen, WI 54636 • 608/526-2221
[email protected] (term to 12/09)
Director Terry Glanzman, W6750 Hemlock Rd., Mondovi, WI 54755 •
(715) 875-4771 (term to 12/10)
Sherman Griffin, retired
Director, Sue Hall, 200 Pine Bluff Rd., Stevens Point, WI 54481 • 715/3448081, [email protected] (term to 12/09)
Director Ellen Lafouge, 9154 N. Fielding Rd.., Bayside, WI 53127 •
414/352-6697; [email protected] (term to 12/10)
Director Leif Marking, W7917 Co. Hwy. ZB, Onalaska, WI 54650 •
608/781-0323 • [email protected] (term to 12/09)
Director Patrick Ready, 1210 Oakwood Ct., Stoughton, WI 53589 •
608/873-1703 • [email protected] (term to 12/09)
Claire Romanak, 7175 Nehrbass Rd.; Athens, WI 54411; 715-2571905; [email protected] (Term to 12/10):
Director, Jerry Schoen, 682 Foxglove Lane, Whitewater, WI 53190 • 262473-7189 • [email protected] (term to 12/10)
Director, Toni Wanserski, 7315 Hwy. 66, Custer, WI 54423 •
[email protected] (term to 12/10)
Appointed Officers and Committee Chairpersons:
Data Collection and Analysis: Dr. Kent D. Hall, Coordinator, 200 Pine
Bluff Rd., Stevens Point 54481 • 715/344-8081 [email protected];
Data Analysis: Dr. Peter Dunn, Associate Professor, Dept. of Biology,
UW-Milwaukee, P.O. Box 413, Milwaukee 53201 • 414/229-2253;
[email protected]
County Coordinator Chair: Joe Schultz (see above)
Funding: Mike Helgren (see above)
WI Bluebird Editor: Patrick Ready, (see above)
Membership: Sue Schultz, 5221 Cheryl’s Dr., Plover, WI 54467 •
715/341-5521 • [email protected]
Nest Box Designs: Leif Marking, (see above)
Public Relations: Ellen Lafouge, (see above)
Student and Youth Outreach Committee:
Co-Chairpersons: Lowell Peterson, 1860 45th St., Somerset, WI 54025
• 715/247-3243; and, Mary Holleback, 720 Madison St., West Bend, WI
53095-4136 • 262/335-9843
Ornithological Consultants (Volunteers) Dr. Peter Dunn, Biology Dept.,
UM-Milwaukee, P.O. Box 413, Milwaukee, WI 53201 • 414/229-2253
[email protected] and Dr. Linda Whittingham, Biology Dept.,
UM-Milwaukee, P.O. Box 413, Milwaukee, WI 53201 • 414/229-2252
[email protected]
BRAW Liaisons:
Bur. Of Endangered Res. Liaison: Sumner Matteson, DNR, 101 S.
Webster St. PO Box 7921, Madison, WI 53701 • 608-266-1571
WSO Liaison: William P. Mueller, 1242 S. 45 St. Milwaukee, WI 53214 •
(414) 643-7279 • [email protected]
Wisconsin Bluebird Subscription and BRAW, Inc. Membership
Yes! I would like to renew my membership with the Bluebird Restoration Association of Wisconsin, Inc.
and receive its newsletter Wisconsin Bluebird. Enclosed is my check/money order (do not send cash)
made out to BRAW, Inc. for the following:
Subscription/Membership contribution:
[ ] $15 Individual
[ ] $25 Family Annual
[ ] $300 Life Membership
[ ] $100 Corporate Annual
[ ] $
15 to nest box construction with post &
predator guard
[ ] $100 for nest box trail
[ ] In addition to my membership contribution, I wish to
contribute: $___________
(Contributions to BRAW are tax deductible)
Print clearly
Check appropriate boxes:
[ ] This is a renewal.
[ ] This is a new subscription
[ ] This is a GIFT subscription.
Enclosed please find my check $ _____________
Name: _______________________________________
Address: _____________________________________
City: ________________________________________
Mail this membership/subscription request to:
BRAW, Inc.
c/o Sue Schultz
5221 Cheryl’s Dr.
Plover, WI 54467
State: ____________________Zip Code: ___________
Email Address: ________________________________
Telephone: (
) ______________________________
County of residence: __________________________
Please note: This form appears in this newsletter as a convenience for all who wish to obtain membership. Membership renewals are due
as of January 1 each year. The BRAW, Inc. bylaws stipulate that the winter issue (December issue) of Wisconsin Bluebird newsletter of the
new year will be the last issue sent if your membership is not renewed before the Spring issue is printed.
Wisconsin Bluebird
18
Spring 2009
BRAW Form 21
Revised 1-08
YEAR __________
Bluebird Restoration Association of Wisconsin
ANNUAL BIRD NESTING SURVEY SUMMARY
The 2007 Annual Nesting Survey eliminated spacing and box type. The BRAW Board still considers spacing (100 yards+) and box
type (see below) important, but many monitors told us it was difficult to interpret what data was wanted, so we changed the form
and asked for 1st, 2nd & 3rd broods. Unfortunately, this request was also difficult to interpret. So, to assure accurate collection of
data in 2008 and beyond, the BRAW Board has changed the form again. This time we are asking for nesting attempts instead of
broods. Each bluebird nesting attempt with eggs is recorded sequentially, regardless of whether it/they fledged young. We ask
that you provide complete data (including eggs and hatchlings). Otherwise the report will not be included in the BRAW Annual
Report. BRAW monitors are expected to collect data from each of the songbirds below and to protect their nests.
Please return this completed form by September 1 to BRAW, Inc., c/o Dr. Kent Hall, 200 Pine Bluff Rd., Stevens Point, WI 54481.
Any reports received after Oct. 10 will not be included in the Annual Report.
Total Boxes Presented:
Name ___________________________________________________
(Sum of used & unused)
Address: ________________________________________________
IMPORTANT: Number of boxes with no nests
City _______________________State_______Zip_______________
during the current season:
Number of boxes with at least one
bluebird egg laid in them:
Telephone (_______) - ____________
Email Address: __________________________________________
County where boxes are located? ________________________
Use a separate Survey Summary form for Each County.
Number of boxes in with a House Sparrow Nest:
Species Bluebird Nesting Attempts
* First
Second
Third
Tree
Swallow
House Black-capped
Wren
Chickadee
All Nest Attempts: Number of
nests in which at least one egg
was laid.
Egg Count: Total number of
eggs laid for all nests, including
those that don’t hatch.
Hatchlings: Total number of
eggs hatched for all nests.
Fledglings: Number of young
birds that fledged from all nests.
Successful Nest Attempts:
Number of nests in which at least
one young bird fledged from a nest
(Often is less than all nest attempts)
* First nesting attempt in all boxes in which at least one bluebird egg is laid (then second nesting attempt then third nesting attempt).
Nest attempts without eggs are not to be entered.
Note: All five lines of data must be included in the Form 21 report in order for it to be included in the final Annual Report for BRAW.
Many box types are being used by Wisconsin bluebirders. But only the following box
types had averages above the 3.5 bluebird
fledglings per box for the 2006 season: K-Box,
NABS-Style and Peterson.
NABS style
Peterson
K-box
Type of mounting system used: _____ T-shaped fence post
____ U-shaped fence post
____ Conduit/Rebar
Do you use predator protection for your mounting system? _____ PVC _____ Aluminum _____ Other _____ None
____ The U.S.F.W.S. guidelines for active nests were followed while monitoring the nests of all songbird species
during my/our study.
Wisconsin Bluebird
19
Spring 2009
BRAW management practices that are thought to have improved Eastern Bluebird production on the Audubon and
other Bluebird Trails.
Location, Location, Location:
1) Need a territorial forage area of 1-3 acres of predominantly open habitat
2) Ideal sites: short, sparse grass with interspersed trees: cemeteries, golf courses, parks, roadsides, bike trails,
RR tracks
3) Boxes should be totally exposed to sunlight from sunrise until noon; thereafter, shading is permissable
4) Perch sites:
a) O
ne or more trees (10’+ ideal) right in front or to one side of nest box (most hunting starts on a perch and these trees are vital for use as
survival perches when chicks first fledge)
b) Fences (barbed, electric, wooden)
c) Electrical wires (no more than 30’ high preferred), clothes lines
5) Noisy sites okay (interstates, other roadways, railroads, temporary air shows, church picnics)
6) Roadways with limited traffic can be ideal nest box sites and adults and young chicks are rarely killed by traffic.
Relocation:
1) Change the nest box position if there has been no bluebird nesting attempt in a season OR
2) Change by the end of the following April (75-90% of nest boxes have been occupied by bluebirds by then); if no nesting has
occurred by the end of April your 2nd nesting season, it is sign that your site is unappealing to bluebirds. But moving them to better nest sites
still gives you a 50:50 chance of occupancy for the season.
Box Style/Dimensions:
1) In ‘the wild”, bluebirds prefer to occupy old woodpecker holes that are not usually very large
2) Shallow, narrow boxes work best:
a) 4-5” below the bottom of the hole as maximum depth
b) 4 x 4”, 4 x 5” nesting platform (inside dimensions)
3) No vents or keep vents closed until June 1 to prevent windchill from killing eggs and/or chicks
4) Oval hole small enough to keep out starlings & cowbirds
5) Don’t use predator guards on box fronts (too thick for bluebirds) or perches on boxes (used by predator birds such as sparrows & kestrels).
Instead, use a predator guard on your mounting post or make the mounting post your predator guard (3/4” electrical conduit preferred).
Spacing:
1) S
pace no closer than 100-200 yards (1-3 acre territories); encourages Tree Swallow occupation if boxes are placed closer than this
2) Pairing reduces bluebird and increases swallow production/box
Nest, Egg & Chick Removal for bluebirds, chickadees, Tree Swallows (1,2,3) and House Wrens (4): Procedures approved
by USFWS in Dec., 2006
1) P
artial or complete nests w/o eggs: 1st week; 2nd ,3rd ,4th weeks, no change, then remove; restart week count if more building occurs; if wet,
remove, replace with dry, coarse grass or pine needles (white pine preferred)
2)Eggs, full clutch in week 1; if do not hatch in 2nd ,3rd or 4th week, place back of fingers on eggs; if cold to touch, remove nest and eggs
3) C
hicks starving/lethargic: foster into nests with chicks of similar age, + or - 2 days [place with slightly younger, if possible]: 85% reared by
adoptive parents in a 4-year study by the Aldo Leopold Audubon Society in central WI
4) House Wrens only: The first week leave partial or complete nests in tact. If still no egg nest cup the 2nd week destroy dummy nest. Repeat if
necessary. If egg cup or eggs are found in the 2nd week allow natural cycle to continue.
Predator Guard on Mounting Pole/Post:
1) D
o not put boxes on wooden fence or electrical posts. The cheapest and most convenient mounting system uses 3/4” electrical conduit. Cut
10’ conduit to 6’-8” lengths. Flatten 4” at end and bury 18” of conduit. To the remaining 5’ conduit attach two 3/4” clamps and screw to box.
Two 3/4” pieces can be joined with a coupler to make a 6’-8” post.
2) H
ouse Sparrow predation: No nest box has proven to be sparrow proof (PVC/K-boxes work for some monitors)
Direction of Opening:
1) Keep away from prevailing westerly winds (cools boxes)
2) Use the same direction for all boxes
3) C
ornell University has determined that directing the opening of a nest box to the northeast,
east or southeast improves the fledging rate of Eastern Bluebirds in northern latitudes.
Apparently, boxes pointed in that direction, heat up more quickly in the mornings in cold
weather but do not collect as much heat from a southern exposure in summer.
Wisconsin Bluebird
20
www.braw.org
Spring 2009
Individual Nestbox Weekly Field Record
Bluebird Restoration Association of Wisconsin, Inc.
FORM 22
Name
Year _____________
Mailing address
City _______________________________________________________
Height of hole: _______
(distance to ground in
nearest 1/2 foot)
Phone (
County
State __________________________
) ____________________
Zip ___________________
Box design name
(See sketches on back
of form for some of the
most productive box
designs)
Location of box ______________________________________________
(including distance from reference points)
Box support (circle one): 1. T metal post 2. U metal post 3. Conduit rebar 4. Other (list) ______________________________
Was a predator guard used on this box? (circle one) 1. PVC tube 2. Rain gutter 3. stove pipe 4. Other (list) _____________
Habitat (circle best description): 1. Grassland
2. Pasture
8. Building site
Date
of
visit
Check
made
by
Is nest
present
7. Suburban
Number
of
eggs
Est.
date of
hatch
Number
of
young
3. Orchard
Number
fledged
4. Fence row
9. Wetland
5. Cultivated field
6 Forest edge
Other _____________________________
Comments: (Condition of young, parasites, predation,
Bird
species banding, future box repair, encroachment of woody
vegetation, observation, etc.)
____ T
he U.S.F.W.S. guidelines for active nests were followed while monitoring the nests of all
songbird species during my/our study.
Please send in your data on a BRAW Form 21 by September 1 to: Kent D. Hall, Ph. D.,
200 Pine Bluff Rd. Stevens Point, WI 54481
Box Number
Form 22 - Individual Nestbox Weekly Field Record (Revised 1/07)
Wisconsin Bluebird
21
Spring 2009
Date
of
visit
Check
made
by
Is nest
present
Number
of
eggs
Est.
date of
hatch
Number
of
young
Comments: (Condition of young, parasites, predation,
Bird
species banding, future box repair, encroachment of woody
Number
fledged
vegetation, observation, etc.)
Additional Comments:
Instructions: Consolidate your data at the end of the nesting season from this BRAW, Inc. Form 22, Individual Nestbox
Weekly Record and enter it on the Annual Bluebird Nesting Survey Summary Form 21. Send your summarized data by
September 1 to Dr. Kent Hall, 200 Pine Bluff Rd., Stevens Point, WI 54481.
Many box types are being used by Wisconsin bluebirders. But only the following box types had averages above the
3.5 bluebird fledglings per box for the 2008 season: K-Box, NABS-Style and Peterson.
K-box
NABS style
Peterson
Form 22 - Individual Nestbox Weekly Field Record (Revised 1/07)
Wisconsin Bluebird
22
Spring 2009
Sialia Journals Available
Will ship to the first to respond,
one (1) complete set (72 issues)
of "Sialia" the journal of the
North American Bluebird Society for the years of 1979 through
1997 for $30.00 (includes S&H).
Send request or check to:
Carol McDaniel
14953 Hwy 23
Darlington, WI 53530
Lafayette County Bluebird
Spring Meeting Set
The Lafayette County Bluebird
Society will hold a spring meeting on April 4th from 2:00-5:00
p.m. at the Darlington Elementary School in the Large Group
Room in Darlington.
Program highlights will include:
• Keeping up the bluebirds-how
you can accommodate and
protect the growing numbers
of Eastern Bluebirds.
• Introduction of the “Purple
Martin Project” in Lafayette
County. Learn how you can
become a Purple Martin Landlord.
• Nest boxes and mounting
systems suitable for bluebirds
will be available for sale.
For more information contact:
Carol McDaniel 608-776-3379 or
email at [email protected].
Welcome Spring – Welcome The Birds
Come to the 5th Nest Box Seminar to be held at the Beaver Dam Senior
Center, on Saturday, March 14, 2009.
The Dodge County Coordinator for the Bluebird Restoration
Association of Wisconsin (BRAW) has organized the seminar to be hosted by the Beaver Dam Senior Center (114 E. Third Street) from 9:30 AM
to 4:00 PM. Admission to the event is FREE!
Schedule:
9:30a.m. – Patrick Ready- Bluebirds and other Cavity Nesters
!0:00a.m. – Open House of displays begins
11:00 a.m. – Barb Harvey, a local raptor rehabilitator, will show live cavity nesting raptors and describe their plight in the modern
environment. Children will be especially interested in this
presentation.
12:00 noon - LUNCH BREAK – time to eat and visit displays
1:00 p.m. – Mariette Nowak, former director of the Wehr Nature Center
in Milwaukee and author of Birdscaping in the Midwest will
talk about making your backyard attractive to native birds
by creating their natural habitat. Her book will be available
for purchase.
2:30 p.m. – Larry Vine – Larry is director of the Marsh Haven Nature
Center and will speak on the successful Purple Martin colony at Marsh Haven Nature Center and will speak on the
successful Purple Martin colony Marsh Haven developed by
Tony Oechsner.
For further information, contact Jack Bartholmai (Dodge Co. BRAW
Coordinator) at (920)887-1505 ([email protected]) or the Beaver Dam
Senior Center at (920)887-4639
April 8
The Status of Eastern Bluebirds in Wisconsin, presented by Pat Ready, Madison Audubon Society and Bluebird Restoration Association of Wisconsin.
Schlitz Audubon Nature Center, Bayside, WI 6:30 - 8:00 p.m.
What habitat do bluebirds prefer? What do they eat and where do they find
their food? Where is the best place to put a nest box? What size and shape nest
box do they need? How high should it be placed and what direction should it
face? What does it take to become a bluebird trail monitor? Join us to learn the
do’s and don’ts of attracting and helping our Wisconsin bluebirds.
April 18
Attracting Bluebirds and Cavity Nesters, presented by Pat Ready
Madison Audubon Society and Bluebird Restoration Association of Wisconsin.
1:45 - 2:15, Bird Fest Migrates to the Domes - Mitchell Domes, Milwaukee
Wisconsin Bluebird • Volume 24, Number 1 • Spring 2009
Published by the Bluebird Restoration Association of Wisconsin, Inc.
Editor, Designer, Photographer
Patrick Ready, 1210 Oakwood Ct., Stoughton, WI 53589
608-873-1703 • [email protected]
Wisconsin Bluebird is published quarterly by the Bluebird Restoration Association of Wisconsin,
Inc. (BRAW) 1210 Oakwood Ct., Stoughton, WI 53589. Subscription price is included in membership dues. Subscriptions, renewals and address changes should be sent to Sue Schultz, 5221
Cheryl’s Dr., Plover, WI 54467. Issues are dated Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter. Deadlines
for submissions to the editor are due the 15th of January, April, July, and October.
Contact the Wisconsin Bluebird newsletter editor for reprint permission of any material printed
in the Wisconsin Bluebird. Patrick Ready: 608-873-1703 • [email protected]
Wisconsin Bluebird
23
The mission and
purpose of the Bluebird
Restoration Association
of Wisconsin, Inc. is to
monitor and increase the
production of Eastern
Bluebirds and other native
cavity nesters through
a coordinated statewide
nest box construction and
monitoring program.
Spring 2009
The Big Blue Egg
By Leif Marking
Jim Solberg, a news reporter,
requested to come along with me on
one of my monitoring trips to learn
a little bit more about bluebirds,
monitoring, and other birds that use
our nest boxes. We started to check
boxes near West Salem WI, and found
and recorded five beautiful bluebird
eggs in each of the first two boxes,
which was very exciting for Jim.
I knew the next box had seven
chickadee eggs on my last check,
so when Jim inspected the nest he
reported a complete hatch. The adult
birds perched in a small apple tree
nearby scolding us as we removed the
nest so Jim could take some photos
of the maggot-sized newborns. We
replaced the nest, and the parents
returned to the box before we left the
scene.
I gathered that Jim was intrigued
with this monitoring activity so I
asked him to check the next box so I
could stay in the vehicle and save my
energy. As he returned, he reported
six bluebird eggs. However one was
extra large like it had a double yoke. I
quizzed him on how
large. His description
suggested it was too
large for a bluebird
egg. Then I had to
go check for myself.
I had already
informed him that
our 1 3/8 inch-wide
oval entry restricted
starlings, blue jays,
and most cowbirds.
My observation was
the large blue egg
was that of a starling,
although the blue
color was amazingly
similar to the bluebird’s eggs. But
Jim was leery about that idea because
our restricted entry size prevents
them from getting in. I explained
that I had removed starling eggs and
nest material recently from a wood
duck box on a nearby pond, and this
large blue egg was identical to those I
removed. So how did the starling get
into the bluebird box?
Then I noticed a woodpecker, who
apparently preferred round holes
to oval ones, had attacked the entry
hole. The hole was nearly
2 inches wide in this oneyear-old cedar NABS-style
house. Apparently the
starling was egg bound and
had to relieve herself in the
nearest safe cavity. I was so
thrilled to observe that the
starling had not harmed the
bluebird eggs. This incident
exemplified to me the
kindness of mother birds to
other bird’s reproduction.
Bluebird Restoration Association of Wisconsin
Sue Schultz, Membership Chair
5221 Cheryl’s Dr.,
Plover, WI 54467
www.braw.org
I was concerned that a starling might
return and destroy the bluebird eggs
so after our monitoring trip I returned
to the scene with a new substitute
box. The female bluebird left the box
and watched from a nearby corn stalk
as I placed the nest with six eggs in
the newly mounted box. As I prepared
to leave with the old box in my car
the female anxiously entered her
new home. I took the old box home,
replaced the entry panel, and returned
to the scene.
Once again the female watched as
I replaced the original box, placed
the nest inside, removed the starling
egg, and watched from a little
distance as she reclaimed her home.
Bluebirds are so charming when you
invade their territory that one must
think they comprehend that you are
helping them. So how did this pair
of bluebirds show their appreciation?
Well, all of the eggs hatched, and
all the nestlings fledged. I can share
another intimate experience with
bluebirds.
NON PROFIT ORG.
U.S. POSTAGE PAID
PERMIT NO. 1027
MADISON, WI
Spring is coming!
Time to get your nest
boxes ready.
24
Spring 2009