References and Resources for the Bluebirder
(Part 1)
Subj: Book references for Bluebirders....
Date: 5/27/99 7:35:23 AM Central Daylight Time
From: Nuthatch56"at"aol.com
Hi Haleya:
Good to hear from you again. I have five great books and two pamphlets
in my personal library that I use regularly. They are:
1) "Bird's Nest" by Harrison (Peterson Field Guide),
1975, Houghton-Mifflin Company.
2) "A Guide to the Nest, Eggs, and Nestlings of North American
Birds", second edition, by Baicich & Harrison, 1997,
Academic Press.
3) "Bluebird Trials - A Guide to Success" by Dorene
H. Scriven, 1993, Bluebird Recovery Committee/Audubon Chapter
of Minneapolis.
4) "The Bluebird Book" by Stokes, 1991, Little, Brown
& Company.
5) "Enjoying Bluebirds More - The Bluebird Landlord's Handbook"
by Zickefoose, 1993, Bird Watchers Digest Press (Pamphlet).
6) "Bringing Back the Bluebirds" by Troyer, 1994, Carlisle
Printing Co. (Pamphlet).
7) Cornell Nestbox Network Research Text, by Cornell Lab.
These books and pamphlets I consult religiously and find them
to be extremely helpful with general questions. I hope this information
will launch your idea to post resources for newcomers. Your idea's
a great one!
Cheers...
Crystal Davis, Central Ohio
Citizen Scientist, Student Ornithologist
Subj: Pesticide deaths in songbird populations
Date: 6/13/99 1:41:22 AM Central Daylight Time
From: firefrost2"at"earthlink.net (Fread Loane)
Please accept my apologies for posting a site which is no longer
up! I have checked the following site and it is a proper and
working universal resource locator. This is in relationship
to an earlier discussion concerning multiple deaths of songbirds
directly related to pesticidal sprays.
http://www.abcbirds.org/pesticides.htm
Fread J. Loane
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Subj: Blowflies=Protocalliphora=widespread pest
Date: 6/18/99 4:21:14 PM Central Daylight Time
From: whit"at"pobox.com (Whit Andrews)
Whit Andrews, Omaha, Nebraska
Synthesis of this lengthy email -- there are lots of kinds of
blowflies, and they affect at LEAST 90 species of birds in North
America.
A reference to my copy of The Backyard Birdhouse Book, by Rene
and Christyna Laubach, tells me that blowflies comprise the genus
Protocalliphora (Family
Diptera.) Furthermore, a search of the Internet reveals a June
issue of the Ornithological Newsletter online, (a trove, I might
note), with the short note appended here. (Those interested in
reading the entire newsletter may do so at http://www.ornith.cornell.edu/OSNA/124.htm
or from the general address for all the newsletter editions, at
http://www.ornith.cornell.edu/OSNA/ornnewsl.htm
where MANY subjects are covered.)
But to cut to the chase (and I will be asking the scientist cited
here via separate email if she still wants nests, and will repost
to the list if that is
the case):
NESTLING BIRD PARASITES--Researchers studying bird nests or nestling
birds can expand their research opportunities by looking for the
nestling bird parasite Protocalliphora (Diptera:Calliphoridae).
This genus of the metallic blue or green blowfly family is strictly
a parasite of altricial [Whit's note: "altricial" means
being hatched or born or having young that are hatched or born
in a very immature and helpless condition so as to require care
for some time, which I had to look up] and does not occur in precocial
species. Persons with bird box projects can send bird nest material
and I will provide information on species of parasites present
and infestation rates. In a recent study, we found 26 species
of Protocalliphora in about 90 species of altricial birds in the
United States, including 15 new species. For some species we have
little information on hosts or distribution, and there may still
be a number of unidentified species of Protocalliphora in the
United States. I am especially interested in the nests of rare
or hard to collect birds, such as various ground nesters, warblers,
flycatchers, dippers, and raptors. I will be happy to provide
species identification, or search nest material for specimens.
Please contact me, TERRY WHITWORTH, Entomologist, (toll free :888-959-1818;
WPCTWBUG"at"aol.com) for more information or copies of publications.
Subj: Re: WEBL nestlings dying - need advice
Date: 7/21/99 11:16:40 AM Central Daylight Time
From: Bluebyrder"at"aol.com
Wendy, and others who are interested,
This website has a detailed description of what Bluebird nestlings
normally look like as they develop:
http://www.geocities.com/RainForest/Andes/3523/bluebirdinfopage.html
Just scroll down the section titled: "Determining the age
of Bluebird Nestlings". I will note that these descriptions
are for Eastern Bluebirds, but the development should be similar
for WEBL. Hope this is helpful to you.
Diane Barbin
Harrisburg, PA
Subj: Bluebird Records Software
Date: 8/3/99 8:21:05 PM Central Daylight Time
From: Bluebd1"at"aol.com
Dick Walker,.. Loogootee, in southern IN
After searching in vain for software to maintain my Bluebird trail
records on, I finally gave up early last year and developed my
own program in Works Database. For me, it works to perfection.
Any and all entries immediately update cumulative totals for the
year. Statistical data can be expanded to suit your own individual
taste, or need. Prior year figures are available for comparison
with current year's at any time, or any other need.
Being a novice on the magic box, I have been totally unsuccessful
in my efforts, even with the formulas deleted, to copy a "database"
item for transmission as an attachment, or included in the body
of e-mail. If someone will tell me how the formulas, summary,
or entire records for this year, can be transmitted, I will be
glad to oblige any and all requests.Listed below are a typed copy
of my summaries for 1998, and current year totals up to this date,
8-3-99
ITEM 1998
8-3-99
1....Box#
2....PVC Boxes 114 122
3....Wood Boxes 27 28
4....PVC boxes Used 88 70
5....Wood Boxes Used 11 12
6....Total boxes Used 99
82
7....Nests Attempts PVC w/e 151 104
8....Nests Attempts Wood w/e 32 18
9....Total Nest Attempts 183 122
10...Eggs Laid 775 547
11...Eggs Hatched 711 421
12 Fledged PVC Boxes 576 302
13...Fledged Wood boxes 110 69
14...Total Fledged 686 371
15...Tree Swallows Fledged 13 28
16...Wrens Fledged 32
14
17...Chickadees Fledged 5 5
18...Coon Losses 5 0
19...Sparrow Nests 15
21
20...Wasp Nests 48 121
21...Ants Nests 1
1
22...Mice Nests 8
7
23...Snake Losses e & b 13 14
24...Dead Young in Boxes 25 3
25...Dead Old in boxes 4
9
26...Eggs Not Hatched --bad 46 38
27...Eggs Still in boxes 0
74
28...Birds Still in boxes 0
47
29...Estimated Total to Fledge 686 492
30...Percent Eggs Hatched 92 77
31...Percent Hatched Fledged 96 88
32...Percent Eggs Fledged 89 68
33...Percent Box Occupancy 70 55
34...Average Eggs per Nest 4.2 4.5
35...Average Hatched per Nest 3.9 3.5
36...Average Fledged per Nest 3.7 3.0
37...Average Nests per box Used 1.8 1.5
38...Average Eggs per Box Used 7.8 6.7
39...Average Hatched per box Used 7.2 5.1
40...Average Fledged per Box Used 6.9 4.5
As you can well see, wasps have been my big problem this year.
More about wasps in a later listing.
Subj:
"Spreadsheet"
Date: 8/8/99 5:29:39 PM Central Daylight Time
From: Bluebd1"at"aol.com
Dick Walker----Loogootee, IN...
On 8-3-99 I made a posting titled "Bluebird Records Software,"
which I now feel should be expanded to explain that the program
was prepared using "Spreadsheet" in Microsoft "Works."
For those of you not familiar with the vast possibilities of various
applications that can be prepared on "Spreadsheet,"
it could be said (me) it was specifically developed for keeping
Bluebird records. For instance, there are 230 columns (across)
available for specific data, the likes of being cum totals of
eggs, hatched, fledged, box kind, size, hole size, location, percent
of eggs fledged, etc.,etc..My program contains 41 columns of statistical
data, and I plan to add at least two more for next year.
There are over 16,000 lines (down) available for data entries.
In my program of 150 boxes, I only use 2500 lines, thus allowing
at least 15 lines for data entry (box check) on each box, but
you never use that many. The reason for the 15 line spacing is
that the "Page Up" and "Page Down" keys are
set at 15 spaces, permitting you to flow with ease from box to
box when entering field data. It takes me just over an hour to
post data from my field notebook, and when I make the last entry
for the year, my year-end report with all cumulative data is complete.
Only using 2500 lines for 150 boxes, if desired, over six years
reports could be maintained on one Spreadsheet, one after another
or, I use a separate Spreadsheet for each year. In other words,
the Spreadsheet could be easily used for keeping records for one,
or a thousand boxes.
Some may shy away from using the Spreadsheet for fear of getting
in over their heads. Well, this may be so, but if a 76 year old
novice who has under three years experience on the magic box can
do, then anybody who can turn their computer on and off---especially
off---surely can hack it.
Oh yes, the Spreadsheet is also one of the few programs that have
"HELP" right on the screen you are working on. To turn
it on click tools, options, view, check "Show Help at Start-up",
'n you're in business. Here I am sounding like a pro,..which I
definitely am not, by no stretch of the imagination.
OK.... If by chance I have now convinced some to at least look
at my program, let me know, and it will be e-mailed as an attachment,
with some brief instructions followed by regular e-mail.
Subj: Birding Acronyms- again
Date: 9/16/99 12:33:56 PM Central Daylight Time
From: WAGould"at"aol.com
EABL = Eastern Bluebird
MOBL = Mountain Bluebird
WEBL = Western Bluebird
TRES = Tree Swallow
HOSP = House Sparrow
HOWR = House Wren
EUST = European Starling
OATI = Oak Titmouse
TUTI = Tufted Titmouse
VGSW = Violet-Green Swallow
ATFL = Ash-throated Flycatcher
CBCH = Chestnut-backed Chickadee
MOCH = Mountain Chickadee
CACH = Carolina Chickadee
AMKE = American Kestrel
COBO = Common Barn Owl
WODU = Wood Duck
AMGO = American Goldfinch
and this just in!
the official four-letter abbreviation of the mealworm shall be:
MEWO
Subj: B- luebirds in the N-ashville A-rea - BNA
Date: 9/20/99 3:42:59 PM Central Daylight Time
From: WAGould"at"aol.com
Well here goes:
BNA: Bluebirds in the Nashville Area!
This is a working tiltle for the Metro Nashville Eastern Bluebird
Recovery organization that I'm thinking about. Since our Airport
destination code is BNA, I thought that would be a nice title
to apply to cavity nesting bird species recovery. This is very
early in the planning stages, but I am going to work on getting
some nesting boxes installed in Beaman Park. 1500 acres of wilderness
in the north-west part of Davidson (Metro-Nashville) county. There
are EABL there already. While we are on the subject of Acronyms,
I am open to suggestions for naming this project here in Metropolitan
Nashville Tennessee, Davidson County, USA. All suggestions will
be given consideration.
I hope to have an official logo on digital in the next 8 weeks.
I am seriously looking for members. If anybody from Tennessee
wants to join along with me, write to:
Bill Gould
BNA
1323 4th Ave N
Nashville TN 37208-2715
(615) 726-2743
(615) 726-8545 - fax
WAGould"at"aol.com
Subj:
Date: 1/3/00 12:19:12 AM Central Standard Time
From: koby_2004"at"yahoo.com (Koby Prater)
Hello all,
Awhile back someone said something about the best Bluebird reference
book (it wasn't Stokes). I was just wondering the title and author
of that book
Happy Bluebirding
Koby Prater
Seneca, Mo, a warm 70 degrrees Sunday
Subj: Re: Best BB Book
Date: 1/3/00 8:37:02 AM Central Standard Time
From: nile"at"wcoil.com (Nile McCain)
BLUEBIRD TRAILS Aguide to success 3rd edition Edited by Dorene
Scriven
Nile McCain NW. Oh.
Subj: Re: Best BB Book
Date: 1/3/00 10:46:00 AM Central Standard Time
From: bdarnell"at"centurytel.net (Bill Darnell)
The best BB book I have read was Lawrence Zeleny's. I wish I had
never loaned it out. If you loan a book, 99% of the time, you
never see it again.
Well, off to the shop to begin building boxes!
Bill
Savannah, TN
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