BIRD NESTING IS AT ITS PEAK IN TRAVIS COUNTRY!

The Bird Nesting Season in Travis Country is at its peak.  Even though this is our first year for the TC Nest-box Program, we have had a very successful first season.

We have a total of 34 Bird Nest-boxes plus 1 Bat House installed in Travis Country and of these there are 12 nests with eggs or chicks in them.  In addition, there is a Mocking Bird nest in a tree in the Wild Flower Preserve  and a Greater Roadrunner nest in a tree in the Greenbelt along Magdelena Drive.  At the present time we don’t yet have bats in the Bat House in the Wild Flower Preserve.

Here is a list of the active nest-boxes and what is using them.

No. of Nests                Occupant

5                                  Berwick’s Wrens

6                                  Black-crested Titmouse

3                                  Eastern Screech Owl

1                                  Mocking Bird

1                                  Greater Roadrunner

3                                  European Starling

1                                  Squirrel

6                                  Ants

1                                  Possum

27                               Occupied Nests

So! We are dealing with the Possum, the squirrels, and the ants.  They were uninvited and unwanted.  But overall, we are pleased with the response for our first year with the nest-boxes.  

      Below are our favorite photos of the insides of the nest-boxes from last week.

    Black-crested Titmice, just ready to fly away from the nest.

    4 Newly hatched Eastern Screech Owlets

    5 Bewick's Wren Chicks

Please join us for our 3rd Bird Walk on Saturday, May 9, at 9am, leaving from the Blue Valley parking lot by the Community Office.

Glen Novinger