Vernon has both mountain and western bluebirds that arrive here to nest from southern areas in early spring. Because of their beautiful blue colour and cheerful song, bluebirds have come to symbolize happiness and renewed hope.
Once common across North America, by the 1960s their numbers dropped dismally.
Pesticides such as DDT, housing expansion into the rural countryside, and an influx of non-native birds 鈥� house sparrows and European starlings 鈥� all contributed to greater competition for trees with nesting cavities. The North American Bluebird Society was formed in 1978 and groups across the nation started providing trails with nest boxes for bluebirds and other tree cavity users.
The North Okanagan Naturalists' Club has supported a Bluebird Nest Box Program for more than 35 years.
There are currently 18 Bluebird Trails with 400 nest boxes, many on farm and ranch lands surrounding the city. Each trail has eight-to-40 boxes spaced 100 metres apart, often on fence lines, and some you can see in the Commonage along the road.
Trail monitors check each box weekly, noting the species of bird, dates of egg laying, and numbers of chicks hatching. All results are recorded into a database used to compare with past years to aid in strategies to improve nesting success. Boxes are checked for predators such as snakes, bears, squirrels, or insects that will prevent the birds from nesting. We also check that the boxes are in good shape with no leaks or cracks that could result in cold wet baby birds.
Our nest boxes are built to the North American Bluebird Society specifications by the Vernon Venture Training Centre. They are designed for bluebirds and other small cavity nesting birds such as swallows, chickadees, wrens and nuthatches. With longer periods of hot dry weather, we have made changes in our box designs, using thicker plywood, adding light coloured stains to reflect heat, and a shade roof.
If anyone is interested in helping, we are always looking for new monitors and subs. To support the North Okanagan Naturalists鈥� Club and their volunteer endeavours throughout the community consider becoming a member or donating via www.nonc.ca.
Margaret Mackenzie is a member of the North Okanagan Naturalists' Club
