Conservation Project
Adopt-A-Park Country Park

On Saturdays the park is closed to vehicle traffic, so we meet at the parking lot near the north end of the park.  Turn off Lawndale Drive onto Orman Road.  Drive to the end of Orman and turn left, go to the open parking lot, and you will see us there. 
 Check our Calendar for dates of upcoming park activities.

WALK A MILE IN A BIRDHOUSE MONITOR’S SHOES
April, 2008

By Cal Weimer, Conservation Committee Chair

     We birders are more than just watchers; we are keepers of the birds, contributing to the improvement of the environment. PBC participates in activities for that purpose, one of which is the Country Park Project. We have two commitments there, one twice a year to clean up, the other caring for the 17 bird nest boxes. In early March we start watching them for evidence of nesting. We continue through late July, recording statistics, fixing problems, and making life better for the birds that nest in them.

     Every birder is encouraged to try Bluebird house monitoring. You will experience the joy of seeing the first signs of nest building. You may see a pair of nesters, scolding you for trespassing, and maybe diving on you to scare you away from their babies. Eventually it is time for fledging and you hope to see the babies fly out of the house. You check the nest and find it tidy but empty. You know the babies have fledged. You have a deep sense of satisfaction as you clean out the box, readying it for the next brood of birds. So put on a pair of bird house monitoring shoes and go for a walk with me, checking birdhouses at Country Park.

Country Park Bird Box Monitoring Spring 2007
We officially started monitoring the bird boxes on March 19, 2007.
In 2006 we were monitoring 11 bird boxes.  By April 9^th we had relocated several boxes, repaired others and added 6 new boxes.  This year we will monitor a total of 17 boxes. 
The first nest was by Brown Headed Nuthatches on March 19^th.  By March 30^th the Bluebirds and Carolina Chickadees had started their nests.  The House Wrens started at the end of April and are in two boxes (one real nest & one dummy).
On May 7^th the following nests are active:

6 Eastern Bluebird – total of six eggs and twenty young birds
2 Carolina Chickadees
1 House Wren  

The Brown Headed Nuthatch successfully had seven fledging and the Carolina Chickadee had five.  Within the next two weeks many of the young bluebirds will be fledged.
Country Park is also full of different types of birds at this time of year.  My most recent trips have provided the following sightings:  Eastern Kingbird, Eastern Phoebe, Red Eyed Vireo, Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Barn Swallow, Baltimore Oriole, Cedar Waxwing, Gray Catbird, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Black and White Warbler, Pine Warbler, Coopers Hawk.  These are in addition to the year round residents at the Park. 
On May 7^th I was lucky enough to be within 15 yards of a Red-shouldered Hawk who was sitting on top of a box #6 containing five young bluebirds.  When he moved, prompted by two crows, the bluebird parents immediately returned and fed their young.  It was quite a sight.  Try birding at Country Park - you might be surprised by what you see.

                                                      -- Paul Morien 

 March, 2006
by Paul Morien

     We started checking the birdhouses on March 13th and the Bluebirds had already started two nests.  Our recent check brought us some surprises.  To say the least, the BIRDS have been busy.  We have eleven boxes that we keep tabs on and all but two have nests.  There are five Bluebird nests, three Carolina Chickadees, and a surprise.  Initially, the surprise house appeared to be a bluebird nest.  However, this week a small bird came flying out of it.  I wasn’t 100% sure what it was but had a good idea and wanted confirmation.  Both Cal Weimer and Anne Kelk confirmed that it was a Brown-headed Nuthatch.  The nest has six tiny eggs.  On Anne’s last visit the Nuthatch was very friendly.  There are currently fifteen Bluebird eggs in four nests.  Presently, the Carolina Chickadee nests have no eggs and they need to get busy.
     This is my first time doing this and I can tell you it is quite a thrill.  The Bluebirds are magnificent and stay around to protect their nest.  The last couple of visits I decided to keep track of the number of species that I’ve seen at the Park (23 and 21).  I have had long chats with a female Golden-crowned Kinglet, Yellow-rumped Warbler and Eastern Phoebe.  This week I was treated to five Palm Warblers and a singing Brown Thrasher (who I mistook for a Mockingbird).
     This is wonderful fun and presents great birding up close and personal.

10/22/05   

      Despite cool, misty and iffy weather, there was a great turnout of eleven PBC club members for the Country Park cleanup. We gathered quite a lot of trash. The Moriens and Dan Chambers deserve special kudos for their extra-ordinary effort at getting nasty  stuff on the backside of the biggest lake. We managed to spot some good birds as well, my favorite being the pair of Golden-crowned Kinglets I saw in a pine tree. There were lots of Bluebirds (partially due to our efforts with the Bluebird boxes?!!) Someone heard a Pileated Woodpecker, and several heard Fish Crows. The total number of species was eighteen, not counting Muscovy Ducks and hybrid Mallards.

                                - Louise Brown

PBC CONSERVATION COMMITTEE  2006-2007
Cal Weimer, chair
05/20/2007

2008 will be the 70th anniversary of the Piedmont Bird Club.  In the history section of the club web site, Etta Shiftman wrote this about the 50th anniversary:   ". . .   but when that great day comes,  may its members still be able to look  back on a club that has never faltered in striving to achieve a conservation oriented community that appreciates the value and importance of our birds,  animals, plants, soil, and all our other natural resources."

Now, twenty years later, let's share that same sentiment.  I need you to join me in working at our bird club's Country Park conservation project.  The Country Park manager and his crew never have enough money or time to get the work done.  They need volunteers, and they have asked for our help.  The Piedmont Bird Club has taken on that challenge by officially adopting this park.  Thanks to Dan, the Adopt-a-Park signs are up.  The club has voted "Yes" on this.  Now we are following through.  Please call me or email me if you would like to contribute a little time toward making Country Park a great conservation project for the Piedmont Bird Club.

06-07 has been a good year at Country Park. We have 17 bird boxes to monitor, and an excellent crew doing the monitoring. As you can see by Paul Morien's two reports of monitoring bird houses this spring, we have a variety of birds in them. Bluebirds are our favorite, though, and we do our best to help them thrive at Country Park.
                                          --    Cal Weimer     Phone No 288-2160       email    cweimer@triad.rr.com
 
Here are a few of my ideas for the future of this Committee:
Continue the Fall and Spring park cleanup projects
Continue Fall nest box cleaning, and the Spring nest check and report.
Continue to monitor nest box conditions in the Fall and Winter for improvement of situations such as:
      -- No evidence of use by any birds for past two seasons.
      -- Nest box damaged or otherwise in need of repair or replacement.
      -- Nest box accessibility,   (plant growth around the nest box may expand over the years.
      --  Improved predator protection.
                     -- Cal Weimer

The following are excerpts from Dan Chambers’ 2005 reports on nesting activity in the Bluebird boxes at Country Park:
4/6 It is a beautiful day and the wildflowers are blooming all over the place.
Of the 24 birdhouses at Country Park, most are still empty. We have one partial and two complete nests, both of Carolina Chickadees. One currently has two eggs in it.
4/18  Today we have thirty-seven eggs. Eighteen eggs are Bluebird and nineteen are Chickadee. We have ten complete nests; six Bluebird and four Chickadee. There are nests on the Trail of Peace.
I installed screws on four of the boxes to make them a little more secure. We still have fourteen boxes without birds, so there are plenty of "rooms to rent."
Please see the new Adopt-a-Park signs that have been installed, thanks to Bill Adams.
5/2  The breeding season seems to be going well. This week we have 14 Carolina Chickadee nestlings and 11 of their eggs.
 We have 9 Eastern Bluebird nestlings and 20 blue eggs.  We have 11 active birdhouses and 12 still "ready to rent."
 We did have one birdhouse with three flying squirrels resting in it.
5/31  It looks like the first round is over. Since the last report we have had 19 Eastern Bluebirds and 9 Carolina Chickadees fledge. Add the previous 7 Chickadee fledglings for a total of 16. No new nests at this time. Not a bad start to the nesting season. We have a wren's nest with 5 eggs. I'm not sure which wren it is, but I'll try to see one of the adults next time.
6/13  Only three boxes with activity on this survey. We had two boxes with Eastern Bluebird eggs with a total of eight eggs.
 We had one box with six House Wren nestlings.
6/30  The second wave is going well.
Six House Wrens have fledged. There are fifteen Eastern Bluebird eggs and three hatchlings.
7/11  We had three Eastern Bluebirds fledge and 13 nestlings.  We have six House Wren eggs.
The fledgling totals as of August 15^th for the 2005 nesting season were:  Eastern Bluebirds: 35, Carolina Chickadees: 16, House Wrens: 12

Birds and other wild creatures observed at Country Park
5/20/07
Slow down, take your time stop to smell the Honeysuckle
More to see than birds
Millipedes crossing the path,
squirrels eating birds eggs,
Beautifully formed spider webs sparkling with Dew.
A Grackle and a snake in combat: the Grackle won.
On the lakes there are frogs, turtles, and snakes.
Birds... more that haven't been seen than have been.
Some of those seen are:
Mallards Canada Geese Muscovy Duck Swan Goose Domestic White ducks Wading birds Green Heron
Great Blue Heron Kingfisher Swallows Bluebirds Eastern Kingbird Red-bellied Woodpecker Downy
Woodpecker Pileated Woodpecker Indigo Bunting Warblers Vireos Song & Chipping Sparrows Cat Bird
Wood Thrush Chickadees Titmouse Nuthatch Brown thrasher Fish Crow
There are about twenty- five birdnest boxes scattered about the park. Some are occupied by Bluebirds, (nests are made
of pine needles), some have chickadees in them, (their nests are made of moss).
For several years Piedmont Bird Club has cleaned trash around the lakes, and cleaned out bird nest boxes in the Fall
and Checked them in the Spring to see what was using them. Last year there were around 50 baby Bluebirds counted.
We have enjoyed our Spring picnics at shelter no. 1 in Country Park for the past few years.

Here is a map of Country Park in Greensboro, NC. . For a larger version, click on it. Map drawn by Cal  Weimer