A program monitoring about
150 nest boxes in the oak woodlands of ESNERR began in 1998. Each spring
and summer the nestboxes are monitored weekly by a team of volunteers. By
carefully checking the boxes and consistently recording what they see, the
volunteers are able to obtain data on:
- nest box occupancy (which
boxes are occupied and by which species)
- phenology (timing of reproductive events)
- indicators of reproductive success (clutch size, hatching rate, fledging
rate)
- parasitism (blowflies in nesting material) Monitoring
these parameters serves as one way of keeping track of the health of oak
woodland communities around the ESNERR over time. For instance, dramatic
declines in nest box use or fledging rate would serve as a warning signal
alerting managers to potential problems in these habitats. These data also
would motivate a search by researchers for new negative environmental influences
in the area.
In addition to tracking patterns over time, this monitoring may also be
useful for examining patterns over space. For example, following restoration
of the oak understory, comparisons can be made between nesting in restored
and unrestored woodlots to assess community consequences of restoration.
Data from ESNERR are also submitted to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, which
manages a national database of volunteer nest box records, and identifies
large-scale trends using this information.
Results thus far
In 2003, a report was prepared summarizing the the data from 1998–2003
of this monitoring program. Click here to
download a copy of this report (.pdf file, 224 KB).
How to get involved
If you would be interested in participating in nestbox monitoring, contact
acting Volunteer Coordinator Kenton Parker (831-728-2822;
). You must be willing to commit to carrying out weekly checks of nestboxes
from March to June, and must follow a rigorous protocol for fieldwork and
note-taking. In return, you have the opportunity to wander off-trail in
our magical oak woodlands, peeking at fluffy baby chickadees and titmice
in their boxes.
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