A huge thank you goes out to Kim Kouri, Mike Elchyshyn, Barb and Warren Ryckman, and Allan Thompson for their weekly monitoring of the 43 nest boxes on the Dr. Ray Kiff Memorial Trail.
A special thanks also goes out to Betty & Kevin Jones, who have faithfully shared bluebird numbers from their farm over the past several years. This kind of long-term commitment helps us track changes in bird populations year after year.
This season, we had eleven (11) Eastern Bluebirds fledge, a significant drop from fifty (50) last year. We also recorded seventy-four (74) Tree Swallows compared to sixty-three (63) last year, and four (4) House Wrens compared to fifteen (15) last year.
The season started late and ended early, and there was only one bluebird nesting attempt (in some summers, two broods are raised). Was this due to unusual weather? The growing impacts of climate change? Or simply a difficult year for insects, which bluebirds rely on to feed their young? These are the kinds of questions nest box monitoring can help us explore.
Eastern Bluebirds are a conservation success story in Ontario. Once in sharp decline due to habitat loss and competition from invasive species like European Starlings and House Sparrows, bluebird numbers have rebounded thanks to nest box trails just like this one. Volunteers and landowners play a crucial role by providing safe nesting spaces in open fields and meadows, habitats where natural tree cavities are often scarce.
Still, annual numbers can vary widely depending on weather, food availability, and migration conditions. That’s why local monitoring is so important: every record contributes to a bigger picture of how these beautiful birds are faring across the province.
We’re grateful to everyone who helps us keep an eye on our local bluebirds. It will be interesting to compare results with other bluebird trails this year and see if the trend holds true elsewhere.
