Fate of two dozen young

kw: wildlife, conservation

I didn't see a single bluebird all Summer, but some of my colleagues did. This year two colleagues and I, as part of a wildlife conservation project at our workplace, monitored six bluebird boxes on a weekly basis beginning in late April. The season was slow getting started, but eventually all six boxes produced young birds, though one clutch all died.

Three nest boxes hosted Tree Swallows, lovely blue-and-white birds. Two nests produced, respectively, four and three young that successfully fledged (the three had a fourth sibling that died), while a third nest produced two chicks that died, almost fully fledged, when temperatures here passed 100°F (nearly 40°C).

Three boxes hosted Carolina Wrens, and we counted, 3, 4, and 5, though the nest with three was set up a month later than the other two. No wren chicks died. On today's run, we found that last nest empty, so all the boxes are empty and have been cleaned out in anticipation of the next season.

That's the tally: 19 live chicks and three dead ones.