Chimney Swifts

The Driftwood Wildlife Association "promotes the conservation of Chimney Swifts through public education, preservation of existing habitat and creation of new nesting and roosting sites". They are once again plotting chimney swifts' movements northward over the next few months and are asking folks to let them know when you spot the first one in your area. To post your sighting go here. Also on their site is a chimney swift web cam, an online newsletter (Chaetura), plans for building your own chimney swift tower, and much more. Check them out....it is a worthwhile organization.

Let the Nesting Begin

I found 5 powder-blue colored bluebird eggs in my box today! Not sure when the clutch began so it will be hard for me to determine the hatch date. Bluebird eggs are laid one per day until the clutch is complete- a total of 4-7 eggs. This is followed by 12-14 days of incubation. Egg laying at times can be delayed if inclement weather persists, if food is scarce or if the parents are young. Since incubation doesn't begin until all eggs are laid I'm thinking I have a completed clutch because when I opened the box the female was sitting atop the eggs. I also checked the box I placed on my neighbors property and found one egg in it. This means it was laid today, which will help in determining the hatch date here. I'm very fortunate to have nesting bluebirds in both boxes so soon. Also it looks like the soap did the trick because I found no more wasp nests.