Bluebird Update
As some of you know, Sokol Blosser is a big supporter and participant in the Western Bluebird Recovery Project, an organization that works tirelessly to restore native species or birds to the Willamette Valley. Following is the latest bluebird report. We've been battling some very aggressive sparrows this year, as you can see below. We do have some new bluebirds, though!
This Western Bluebird nestling is just starting to get his feathers!
"I checked the nest boxes today. I found two swallow nests at Jennifer [Sokol Blosser]'s and two swallow nests and one bluebird nest with two eggs at Susan [Sokol Blosser]'s. There's a box with bluebird nestlings and three or four with eggs at the vineyard as well as boxes with swallow nests in various stages.
Michael banded the nestlings on Saturday. House Sparrows and VG [Violet Green] Swallows are vying for the first box in from 99W. This morning I pulled out a VG Swallow nest with a HOSP nest built on top of it. I left a trap box when I went to Tigard and checked it on the way back. Unfortunately, I found a VG Swallow in the trap box and released it.
Thanks for all you do to provide good habitat for bluebirds and other cavity nesting songbirds.
Marilyn van Dyk"