Tampa Audubon Society

Tampa Audubon is presenting a program titled Tales from the Bluebird Trails , Thursday, Jan. 5. The main speaker is Mary Miller, Bluebird Box Trail Coordinator for Tampa Audubon. The meeting is at the Tampa Garden Club, 2629 Bayshore Blvd, Tampa, 33629.  Eastern Bluebird photo by John Miller The evening starts with a bird/wildlife photo presentation at 6 pm, followed by a potluck at 7 pm. The presentation starts at 7:30 pm. Everyone is invited to attend, and reservations are not required. You can also participate on Zoom. To join the meeting, click https://us06web.zoom.us/j/5090969712 . If you would like to show photos in the photo presentation, learn how to participate here: https://www.tampaaudubon.org/program . If you’d like to join the potluck, please bring a dish to share.   Since 2004, Mary Miller has monitored the Flatwoods Park Bluebird Trail, established by Tampa Audubon Society in 1970. Recently, several other Audubon members volunteered to restore and monitor new and abandon

Story and photo by Mary Miller, Bluebird Box Trail Coordinator John Miller, Sherry Keller and Flatwoods Ranger Clint Perigard install the first bat house. Flatwoods Park Bluebird Trail has 56 Eastern Bluebird boxes, and we occasionally have a few bats that will roost in them. Several years ago, we even had a maternity colony of Evening Bats that had 11 pups in one of our boxes during their nesting season (April 15 – August 15), which is similar to the bluebird's (March 1 – August 15). For the past few years, the number of bats occupying our bluebird boxes has been increasing. This year, we had six bluebird boxes taken over by Evening Bats. So, we thought it was time to build a few bat houses in hopes of getting our bluebird boxes back for the birds. Florida has 13 species of bats, including the Evening Bat, and they are all protected under Federal Law. Bats eat more insect pests than any other animal and are especially beneficial to farmers for that reason. Mothers and pups are lik

By Mary Miller, TAS Bluebird Trail Coordinator Tampa Audubon Society (TAS) members monitor six Bluebird Trails that were very productive this year, with a total of 307 fledglings (267 Eastern Bluebirds, 28 Carolina Chickadees, 6 Tufted Titmice, and 6 Carolina Wrens). Better environmental conditions—a less severe dry season and moderate rainy season with less flooding—meant more insects for the chicks to eat, which helped more of them survive. Since our first bluebird trail at Flatwoods Park in the 1970s, our trails have expanded to now include Balm-Boyette Preserve, Lake Park, Lettuce Lake Park, Hunter's Green Park, and Sargeant's Park. This year, in addition to birds, several of our trails had a lot of Evening Bats ( Nycticeius humeralis ) occupying the bluebird boxes. Flatwoods had so many, that we are installing three bat boxes on our bluebird trail. Most bat species are endangered, so we like to promote bat conservation whenever possible. You might think that our job is ove

Photo by Nancy Eydmann By Nancy Eydmann, Bluebird Monitor I'm the Eastern Bluebird nest box monitor at Balm Boyette Scrub Nature Preserve in Balm.  I became involved in the program after talking to and observing Mary Miller, monitoring coordinator, overseeing the bluebird trail at Flatwoods Wilderness Park.   I bike at Boyette, so we discussed the boxes there. When an opportunity became available, she asked if I could monitor boxes at Boyette. I monitor the nests weekly while biking or taking the car.   Although we have had few nestings this year, it is always exciting to open a box to find a nest/eggs/chicks. I also had several opportunities to discuss the nest box trail with other riders who were unfamiliar with the purpose of the nest boxes.  We have 14 boxes at Boyette. This year, our nesting birds included Carolina Chickadees and Tufted Titmice. Next year, we plan to relocate some boxes to areas that we hope will encourage more nest occupancy. I'm grateful to Hillsborough

By Sherry Keller V olunteer Bluebird Monitor and Tampa Audubon board member Photo of Sherry at one of the bluebird nests she monitors. Photo by Mary Miller Years ago, Tampa Audubon placed three bluebird nest boxes near the Lettuce Lake Park playground, but for some reason, bluebirds never found them. There are plenty of Eastern Bluebirds near the park, but I rarely see them in the park. Last summer, I decided to get serious about bluebirds at Lettuce Lake. I began monitoring the nest boxes on a regular basis. At first, the only activity I found was wasps. My routine was simple - open the box, knock down the wasp nest, run, then come back the next week and do it all again. By the end of the summer, the wasps had given up! Then in February, Mary Miller, Alan Bailey and I decided to move the boxes to better locations. Surprise! A pair of Carolina Chickadees was building a nest in the first box we tried to move. We left that box in place, but moved the other two. As soon as the chickadee