Cañada de los Osos Ecological Reserve: Youth Education

Update: Bird Program 2010
Update: Bird Program 2009

A Program for the Birds
by Henry Coletto

This project began with an idea and a committed volunteer. Bob Clement is a retired biology teacher who has given lectures and guided field trips all over California. Bob has been a volunteer at Cañada de los Osos since its conception.

The first part of the work started at a local juvenile facility. Over 50 bird boxes were built by students at the wood shop. Then came the fun part, with youth and adult volunteers from local elementary and high schools helping to put the boxes up at the ecological reserve. The project doesn’t stop there – boxes are checked several times during and after the nesting season to keep them clean and to monitor nesting success. The project provided nesting sites for western bluebirds, tree swallows, violet green swallows, oak titmouse, house wrens, and an acorn woodpecker. Kids got to see the variety of materials birds collected to build the nest, including grasses and a variety of feathers. Feathers from red-tailed hawk, wood ducks, and mallards were among those keeping the chicks warm.

Thanks to all that took part in this project. Each year over a hundred birds use these boxes – a real contribution to the wildlife found at Canada de los Osos Ecological Reserve.

Nesting Success at Cañada de los Osos
by Bob Clement

Nesting success for the bird monitoring program at Cañada de Los Osos Ecological Reserve showed a mixed bag as some species were able to cope fairly well with the very erratic weather swings this year while others did poorly. The bluebirds started early and some nested a second time. Excessive heat and the early dry season had some negative effects, but these birds did relatively well. Of the 53 eggs produced in the 11 nests, about 92.5% hatched. There was some mortality among the nestlings, but about 87.8% managed to leave the nest. Many of these will not survive their first difficult year but a sufficient number will probably survive to add to next year’s nesting population here and elsewhere.

 

 

Eggs Laid		Young Hatched	Young Fledged
1.	5	5	5
2.	6	5	5
3.	5	5	5
4.	5	4	2
5.	5	5	5
6.	5	5	4
7.	4	4	4
8.	5	5	4
9.	4	4	2
10.	5	5	5
11.	4	2	2
Totals	53	49	43

The Black Phoebes nested again on the back wall of the generator shed and successful hatched and fledged 3 young.

Tree Swallows nested in profusion this year but suffered many losses. The drought caused plants to stop blooming early, which lessened the number of ‘flying’ insects that these birds depend on. Periods of unusually cold weather, and then excessive heat, killed some young directly and caused the starvation of others. Adults had to fly longer and farther to find food and found it hard to catch enough food and provide for other needs at the same time. It appears some may have resorted to eating some eggs to keep themselves alive and pairs broke up early and abandoned nests to leave for more productive areas. The hatching rate was not too bad at 89.2%, but survival rate of the hatchlings was only about 73.5%. This does not sound too low, but unlike the bluebirds, these birds fly long distances and most probably winter in Mexico, or farther south. The newly fledged young, and their parents, may not be in very good condition for such a long journey and many of these long-distance travelers may not survive the trip.

	Eggs Laid	Young Hatched	Young Fledged
1.	5	5	5
2.	4	0	0
3.	5	5	4
4.	4	4	4
5.	7	6	1
6.	4	4	2
7.	5	5	5
8.	4	4	4
9.	5	2	1
10.	4	4	4
11.	5	4	3
12.	5	4	3
13.	5	4	4
14.	5	5	5
15.	5	4	3
16.	5	4	4
17.	5	4	2
18.	5	5	3
19.	5	4	3
20.	6	6	0
Totals	93	83	61

 

There were 3 Wood Duck nestings also. Two boxes produced a total of 15 young and the third hatched all its eggs before it was discovered (number unknown)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Being a volunteer and teaching others the importance of all wildlife and the role each species plays in the great outdoors.

A clutch of bluebirds wait for their next meal in the warm nest

A collection of feathers and other materials made up the nests, protecting the eggs and young chicks.

Bob Clement and Jim Barnett, both volunteers at CDLO, are committed to teaching others about our state’s wildlife.

Young volunteers at work for wildlife at CDLO.