The Birders Report

Ash-throated Flycatcher Feeding Young In A Nest Box photos by Larry Jordan

I love this time of year!  Ash-throated Flycatchers are so much fun to watch as they hawk insects and catch them in mid air.  Plus they have a sweet call that is a delight to wake up to in the morning.  I went out this morning to get some photos of one of the nesting pairs on my “home” bluebird trail.  These proud parents are using this standard bluebird house with a 1 1/2″ entrance hole on which I installed a slate porthole protector. [continue reading…]

Western Bluebird At Tree Cavity Entrance photos by Larry Jordan

While monitoring my Bluebird Trail at Lema Ranch, I see all kinds of birds and discover many nesting birds in the Spring and early Summer.  This day there were several male Western Bluebirds exploring this oak tree which had three perfect nesting sites within four feet of each other!

Sometimes it’s hard to compete with mother nature for housing for these beautiful birds, but they can always benefit from more choice breeding sites.

If you are interested in starting your own Bluebird Trail, please check out this monitoring guide and watch my video on setting up a trail.  It is lots of fun to watch birds as they mate, build their nests and raise their young but it takes some dedication.  Make sure you make time for your new adventure, should you decide to monitor nest boxes.

While you are setting up your Bluebird Trail, make sure to check out the other great Camera Critter posts!

Western Tanager photo by Larry Jordan

AUDUBON ACTION ALERT!

Our most beloved songbirds are in trouble. More than 300 species of neotropical migratory birds, such as Western Tanagers, Wood Thrushes, and Bobolinks, travel thousands of miles between Latin America and the Caribbean to their northern breeding grounds. These birds are facing an increasingly complex range of threats—habitat loss, invasive species, avian diseases, and a changing climate.

We can help: The Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act Grants Program is an innovative, cost-effective approach to bird conservation, supporting projects to benefit bird populations and their habitats, research and monitoring, law enforcement, and outreach and education throughout Canada, the US, Latin America, and the Caribbean. But right now, this program can only support a fraction of the projects in need of funding.

E-mail your members of Congress and urge them to cosponsor legislation to reauthorize this vital program with increased funding.

By their very nature, migratory species are a symbol of the need for international efforts in nature conservation. To safeguard the future for Neotropical migratory birds, protections must be in place at every stop along their migratory routes. The Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act builds critical links between conservation efforts here in the U.S. and those of our conservation partners in Latin America and Canada.

Momentum is building in Congress to give a much-needed boost to this program, but your elected representatives need to hear that protecting migratory songbirds is important to YOU, their constituents.

Please write to your U.S. Representative and Senators today.

Please take just a few minutes to send a letter to your congressmen and women.  It’s a very simple process that goes a long way for conservation.