by: Rita Romano
If you enjoy watching nature up close and personal, you would love to be a part of the team that monitors the Bluebird boxes that Prince William Alliance has installed on trails by the Chinn Aquatic & Fitness Center. We start monitoring 14 boxes in early Spring that are intended for Bluebirds, however, we get many Tree Swallows in our boxes as well, and sometimes a Wren. We have a team of 6 people, and we take turns peeking into the boxes twice a week until about mid-August. We have a friendly contest with another team that monitors 12 Bluebird boxes at Merrimac Farm to see which team discovers the first egg!
You never know what you are going to find when you peek in the boxes! Is the box empty, or is there a beginning of a nest? If there is a nest, what kind is it? Each species has special characteristics. My favorite is the Tree Swallow nest because they use feathers from other species to curl over the nest opening.
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