HOME AREA BIRDING DATA FIRST SIGHTINGS NESTING BOXES CHRISTMAS COUNTS

AREA BIRDING DATA:
Nesting Box Usage 1985-2008
by Jack Rensel
For twenty four years, Wasatch Audubon (WAS) has been providing and surveying bird boxes in the Ant Flat and Monte Cristo areas. This project was originally part of an effort by Don Paul, Non-Game Coordinator for the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, and WAS to study the habitat of secondary cavity nesting birds.

Each year seems to reveal different results due, primarily, to weather conditions (it�s not easy being a bird!). This year was no exception�Monte Cristo had the latest spring we can remember, with snow banks and bare trees on June 21st when we checked the 103 nest boxes on our four routes. Only 72 boxes showed signs of occupancy, the third lowest rate in fifteen years. Since the Monte Cristo Highway route was our highest elevation site and showed below normal use, we did a follow-up check to see if birds would nest later. In this case, the birds did not nest there later, probably nesting at lower elevations where conditions were more suitable. Our fall nest box check was conducted on October 9th when nesting success was determined and the boxes cleaned out in preparation for next year�s use.


YEAR TOTAL
BOXES
TOTAL
BOXES
USED
TREE
SWALLOWS
MOUNTAIN
BLUEBIRDS
HOUSE
WRENS
OTHER
BIRDS
TOTAL
FLEDGED
BOXES USED #
Birds
Fledged
BOXES USED #
Birds
Fledged
BOXES USED #
Birds
Fledged
BOXES USED
2008 103 72 70.0 17 16.5 61 19 18.4 66 36 35.0 141     268
2007 102 78 76.5 20 19.6 58 22 21.6 61 36 35.3 159     278
2006 105 82 78.1 20 24.4 84 20 24.4 59 42 51.2 218     361
2005 103 96 93.0 18 18.7 77 19 19.8 62 59 61.5 288     427
2004 109 97 89.0 28 28.8 110 26 26.8 88 43 44.3 156     354
2003 121 90 74.0 30 33.3 96 27 30.0 93 32 35.8 62     251
2002 118 70 59.0 35 50.0 155 17 24.2 70 18 28.7 106     331
2001 110 82 71.9 45 54.8 127 22 26.8 39 15 18.3 38     204
2000 107 90 84.1 58 64.4   22 24.4   10 11.1      
1999 105 85 80.9 55 64.7   20 23.5   10 11.7      
1998 116 92 79.3 39 42.4   22 23.9   31 33.7      
1997 106 90 84.9 53 58.9   23 25.6   14 15.6      
1996 109 80 73.4 38 47.5   29 36.2   13 16.2      
1995 103 73 70.9 30 41.1   25 34.2   18 24.7      
1994 99 82 82.8 33 40.2   19 23.2   29 35.4   1 1.2
1993 No data available
1992 175 117 66.9 20 17.1   17 14.5   80 68.4      
1991 166 78 47.0 12 15.4   10 12.8   56 71.8      
1990 155 91 58.7 12 13.2   13 14.3   65 71.4   1 1.1
1989 149 89 59.7 15 16.9   10 11.2   63 70.8   1 1.1
1988 116 86 74.1 8 9.3   18 20.9   60 69.8      
1987 134 104 77.6 19 18.3   14 13.5   71 68.3      
1986 154 92 59.7 9 9.8   11 12.0   72 78.3      
1985 153 89 58.2 5 5.6   7 7.9   77 86.5   1 1.1

HOME AREA BIRDING DATA FIRST SIGHTINGS NESTING BOXES CHRISTMAS COUNTS