30 | OHCC LIVING | JULY 2021 |
Birdwatchers
For years now our Birdwatchers Club members have been monitoring
14 bluebird boxes on our golf course. Jane Shriver has been heading up the
Bluebird program for the past two years.
They selflessly spend hours starting in late March, going out twice a week,
observing the early behavior of the adult birds, recording the timing of their
nest building, the number of eggs laid, the hatchings and, finally, the fledging of
the baby birds. Their job does not end until late in June when the last nesting
period is over, and the final count is recorded. As a former monitor, I know how
exciting it is to see those babies grow and leave their nest! The information is
gathered, sent to the state, and used by the scientists in our nation to determine
patterns in the bluebirds' numbers, either increases or decreases. This year has
had its own set of challenges for our monitors: Joyce Baker, Anna Grinshpun,
Sandy Harvey, Carolyn Hollander, Katherine Backman, and Vickie Wolf. Along
with having to watch out for stray golf balls, they have had to deal with all the
construction and renovations the golf course is going through with the discovery
of an underground source of water. Fortunately, they were given permission to
continue monitoring during the course closure. The excavating equipment was
often operating or parked close to the boxes, and it may have had a small impact
on the birds. Two of the boxes had no activity until they were moved to new
locations. The nesting season has been unusual this year, but as of May 28, 71
eggs had been laid, 52 had hatched, and 29 had fledged. More will fledge after
this writing. In spite of the commotion from the construction and the cold
spring, the bluebirds of OHCC have had another successful season! Kudos to
our monitors!
