Nest box monitors take flight at Creek 53

Earlier this year, we put out a recruitment call to the Friends of Creek 53, looking for volunteers to join our Community Land Steward program as nest box monitors. The response was enthusiastic! 

As many of you know, Creek 53 partners with Développement ornithologique Argenteuil (DOA) to support the presence of field birds in our area. A cornerstone of that initiative was the installation of 75 nest boxes for Eastern Bluebirds and Tree Swallows in 2023 and 2024. Until now, DOA has visited the boxes annually to monitor how they're used and to maintain them for the following season. Thanks to our new volunteers, Creek 53 will be taking on that responsibility going forward. 

The journey began on February 28, when our new recruits braved freezing rain to attend an intensive training session with Martin Picard of DOA. They learned how to assess nest box contents to determine which species used each box and how successful the nest was, as well as how to record data in a standardized format that integrates seamlessly into DOA's broader nest box network statistics. 

With the theory under their belts, the volunteers headed out into the field with Martin on March 20 to open the boxes now under Creek 53's care. With his coaching, they opened nest boxes examining the contents to determine how the box had been used, identifying species, recording results, and once finished, cleaning each box and preparing it for its next occupants, expected to arrive in early April. 

It's more involved than it might sound. Correctly identifying nest box contents and accurately recording the data requires careful observation and a real attention to detail. The training Martin provided, combined with the dedication of our new volunteer land stewards, means the Creek 53 nest boxes will play a meaningful role in supporting healthy field bird populations locally while the data collected contributes to a broader understanding of field bird health across the wider region.