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AREA BIRDING DATA:
Nesting Box Usage 1985-2007
by Jack Rensel
This year (2007) was the 23rd year for our bird nest project. This year we had 102 boxes available on four different routes. Two of the routes are in the Ant Flat area in Weber and Cache Counties. The other two are in the Monte Cristo area in Weber and Rich Counties. They were checked twice this year: once, on June 23rd to determine the species using our boxes and occupancy rates, and, again, on September 22nd. On the Fall visit we replace unusable nest boxes and determine nesting success of those boxes that were used.

Each year, three species of birds normally occupy these boxes – Tree Swallows, Mt. Bluebirds and House Wrens. One year a pair of Cassin’s Finches used a box and, occasionally, boxes are occupied by squirrels, mice and wasps.

This year was an early Spring and we found several boxes with Mt. Bluebirds and House Wrens that were ready to fledge or had already left the box on our June visit. Tree Swallows nested later than in 2006. Overall success was good but under our highest productivity years.


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
#  %  #  %  #  %  #  %  #  %  # 
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

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