Small Americn robins open wide, begging for food. Photo submitted to our website by user jonico.
It’s official. Nesting season has arrived! Have you spotted a nest yet? If you find one nearby, you have a front-row seat to the daily drama of bird life. It’s also a perfect opportunity to become part of the NestWatch project at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. NestWatch has been tracking trends in the nesting success of hundreds of species of birds across the country for more than 40 years.
As a NestWatch participant, you’ll visit one or more nests or nest boxes every 3 to 4 days and report what you see at www.NestWatch.org—when the first eggs are laid, total number of eggs and young, and when the hatchlings take their first faltering flights. After signing up, you’ll first do a bit of online training to understand how best to observe nesting birds without disturbing them. You’ll learn the best time to check nests and how to avoid accidentally leading predators to them.
You’ll also get some tips on how to find nests. “Look for birds carrying bits of grass, twigs, feathers, and other nesting material and remember where they go,” says Jason Martin, NestWatch project leader. “Males sing to mark their territories so if you see male birds singing, there’s probably a nest nearby.”
Participation in NestWatch is open to anyone who is interested in birds and nature, and is free although a small donation is suggested to help support the program. Signing up is easy via the NestWatch website. There are online tutorials to help you along the way and a chance to share your experiences with others on Facebook. It’s a great way to connect with other bird watchers and with nature in your own backyard.
And for a personal, up-close view of birds at their nests, watch some of these nest cams as they broadcasted live via the internet. There’s a lot of action right now, so don’t miss it!
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
This is an excellent project where participants can learn a lot more about birds and do a good dead by helping with this citizen science project. It is also a wonderful and educational program for children to do with parents/grandparents.
We live in the mid west, we have a pair of Blue Birds just starting to build their nest in one of our boxes. They’ve been around for quite awhile back and forth checking several boxes in the area until finally choosing the one outside our kitchen window. If anyone has an idea of when the Orioles begin arriving in this area we would greatly appreciate hearing from you. Have fun with this project is sounds like a good one.
Thanks. Ed
I live on the Suncook River in NH. & have a pair of Great Blue Herons nesting in the back yard. Also, a Bald Eagle has been perching on the Maple tree watching the Mallards, Canada Geese, Toulouse Geese & African Grey Geese. I love living near the water.
Great Magazine, great pictures and very good information.
Great information.
Hi Ed,
This is a website I use to track the Baltimore Orioles, since that’s what we get in Pennsylvania …
http://www.learner.org/jnorth/oriole/
If you scroll down you’ll see Baltimore Oriole and Bullock’s Oriole and if you click on those names, a list will come up with the first sightings including date and state. Can’t wait to welcome them back!
Happy birding
We want to attract Purple Martins. We have tried natural gourds, plastic gourds, manufactured martin houses, drops of vanilla to entice, the perfect size opening ect. and nothing worked. Help!
Ed! I have a pair of Bluebirds too (I am in Minnesota – by Excelsior). They come and spend time eating my mealworms but i have NO IDEA where they are nesting. I do not have a bluebird house!