Songbird Nest Box Program Seeks Volunteer Monitors

Songbird Nest Box Volunteer training will occur on Saturday, March 23, 2013, 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. in the A. B. Ceder Classroom.  Please bring a lunch, paper, and pencil. Dress for the weather.!


Eastern Bluebird
Photo By Bob Stanowski
All wildlife populations are regulated by many things in their habitat. One factor that limits cavity nesting songbirds is the availability of appropriate nest sites. Certain species like woodpeckers create their own nest site by excavating wood with their chisel-like beaks. However, there are several cavity nesting birds that do not create their own cavities but use ones that are already present in their habitat. Eastern Bluebirds and Tree Swallows are a couple species that require pre-existing cavities before they can reproduce. Eastern Bluebirds experienced severe declines in Connecticut starting over 40 years ago. This was due in large part to ecological changes that succeeded open fields to forests and due to a lack of nest sites. A statewide program was coordinated by CT DEEP, Wildlife Division to restore Eastern Bluebird populations by installing nest boxes throughout the state. White Memorial has been part of this initiative since it’s inception by installing nest boxes throughout the property since approximately 1989. Since then the Bluebird population has responded to this conservation strategy quite well by steadily increasing in abundance (Figure 1). This year starts a new phase of White Memorial’s Songbird Nest Box Program. Volunteers are needed to monitor 75 nest boxes for success and productivity.

Figure 1:  Eastern Bluebirds Counted on USGS Breeding Bird Survey Routes 
that Traverse WMF (1967 - 2008), Trend-line Added.
Figure 2:  Eastern Bluebird Summer Distribution Map  from USGS Breeding Bird Survey (2006 - 2010).  Sauer, J. R., J. E. Hines, J. E. Fallon, K. L. Pardieck, D. J. Ziolkowski, Jr., and W. A. Link. 2011. The North American Breeding Bird Survey, Results and Analysis 1966 - 2010. Version 12.07.2011 USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel, MD.

The Songbird Nest Box Program has proven a success for helping to restore Eastern Bluebirds to WMF but it only helps the birds a little. Eastern Bluebirds are not consistently successful at fledging young every year. Connecticut is found in the more northern portion of Eastern Bluebird distribution and southern populations are more abundant than northern populations (Figure 2). This suggests that Eastern Bluebirds are better adapted to a slightly warmer climate. Yet, Connecticut offers enough habitats to make it worth a Bluebird’s effort to still attempt to reproduce because some birds are successful at producing young even though some seasons do not offer the best conditions.  Bluebirds migrate as early as they can from winter habitats (April) so that they can locate a nest site, reproduce, incubate eggs, and raise young. This gives the young enough time to develop so they are physically capable of migrating to warmer climates by the next winter. Connecticut’s breeding Bluebird population is vulnerable to early spring weather conditions that could kill young birds due to exposure. Late frosts, extended cold rain, and freezing temperatures contribute to young birds dying. The nest boxes are designed to meet the needs of the birds while they need a nest site by providing as dry a micro-habitat as possible and protecting the birds from predators and non-native species.  The habitat around each nest box is managed by mowing and controlling the vegetation so that Bluebirds can find enough food for their chicks.  Check the map at the bottom of this page to see the Songbird Nest Box locations.  The boxes must be visited to collect data and to assess how the box is functioning. We have designed a program that provides the volunteers with the option of deciding how much time they can commit to the program. Each nest box must be visited at least twice a year but more frequent visits allow us to learn more about the population. If you have only a little bit of time then you can meet the minimum requirements, but if you have more time to commit then the program will benefit. There are several important things to learn about nest boxes and the birds that use them prior to volunteering with the program. Therefore, we require that if someone wishes to volunteer their time, they must attend a training session offered by WMCC Staff.

Eastern Screech-owl Pellet Examination

Sometimes you find other things in Waterfowl Nest Boxes, for example, Eastern Screech-owl pellets.

Eastern Screech-owls (Otus asio) reside in the state of Connecticut throughout the year.  However, they are observed infrequently on the White Memorial Foundation property because we do not have large quantities of breeding habitat.  Eastern Screech-owls are most often observed at White Memorial in the autumn and winter months when these owls tend to move around more.   The owls are searching for habitat that offers food and adequate cover from the extreme weather and predators during the winter.We received at least two reports of Eastern Screech-owl observations on the property in December 2012 to January 2013 by birders who visited the property. You can review these observations at e-bird.

We found Eastern Screech-owl pellets while checking the Waterfowl Nest Boxes on the property this year.  The pellets were observed on top of the waterfowl nesting material and since waterfowl and Eastern Screech-owl breed at approximately the same time of year, it suggests that the owls used the boxes after the breeding season.  Learn how owls produce pellets.   A total of 3 boxes had pellets.  The nest box in Hammill Marsh (box #5573) had 4 pellets, #3236 in Pine Island Ditches had only 1 pellet, and the box at Ice House Marsh (#8054) had a total of 5 pellets.  Locate these boxes in the map at the bottom of the page.  The habitat around these boxes varies widely.  Hammill Marsh is primarily a herbaceous marsh north of Little Pond.  Pine Island Ditches are located north of Bissell Rd. and east of Duck Pond.  Pine Island refers to habitat because of the conifer trees and shrubby marsh but there are large herbaceous marshes to the north named Mallard Marsh.  Ice House Marsh is a small shrubby-herbaceous marsh surrounded by mature forest and a small mowed field where the old Ice House ruins are located.  This area is located north of Bantam Lake and east of North Shore Rd. 

We expected to see different species of prey because of this habitat variability. Will Hafey and Heather Williams, Wamogo Regional High School students, dissected the pellets to examine what these owls were eating while using the property.  The pellets found in Hammill Marsh and Pine Island Ditches had a total of 2 Meadow Voles (Microtus pennsylvanicus).  Meadow Voles commonly inhabit open heraceous habitats like fields, marshes, and even many people's backyards.  The Ice House Marsh nest box had pellets with the greatest abundance of prey items and two different species.  These pellets yielded at least 6 White-footed Mouse (Peromyscus leucopus) and 1 Southern Flying Squirrel (Glaucomys volans).  These prey species are abundant along forest edges and mature forests.  We can differentiate the prey species by examining the skull, teeth, and long bone characteristics.  We count and match mandibles and skulls, as well as long bones in the limbs and pelvic girdles to determine how many of each species were eaten.  Review the photos below to see the similarity in size and other characteristics of the evidence we use to determine this diet analysis of Eastern Screech-owls on the property.

Meadow Vole rostrum, mandible, and a couple long bones.


White-footed Mouse mandible and few long bones.

Southern Flying Squirrel long bones.

Wildlife Research Technician (2013 Seasonal) Position Announcement


The White Memorial Conservation Center, Inc.

Job Announcement

Job Title:  Wildlife Research Technician (Seasonal)

Job Description:

Job involves working with various wildlife monitoring projects throughout the summer season on a 4000-acre refuge in northwestern Connecticut.  Projects include and are limited to mammal surveys, bird surveys, and reptile & amphibian cover object monitoring.  Short written reports in a format suitable for a general audience will be required regularly (approximately daily).  Field equipment such as GPS units and other digital instruments will be used and must be maintained.  This is a 40 hour per week position working Monday through Friday with occasional Saturday times, for a total of 16 weeks between April 1 and September 30.  Schedule can vary by applicant’s availability. 

Job Qualifications:

Ø    B.S. or have completed at least 3 years of higher education towards a B.S. in biology, ecology, natural resource management, environmental science, or other related discipline.  Applicants with a completed Associates degree in similar disciplines will also be considered. 
Ø    Familiar with all Connecticut wildlife species, including but not limited to birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians.  Able to recognize all species by direct observation or by evidence such as call/song, tracks, scat or other sign.  Knowledgeable of management and conservation initiatives with all wildlife species within the state of Connecticut and southern New England
Ø    Familiar with biological field research protocols and procedures. 
Ø    Able to write short reports describing technical work for a general audience.
Ø    Have a valid driver’s license.
Ø    Be able to drive a pick-up truck (automatic transmission and occasionally in 4WD off road).
Ø    Be able to work with volunteers and the public.
Ø    Capable of working independently and as part of a team, cheerfully in all weather conditions, and with biting insects/ticks.
Ø    Able to work with Microsoft Office Suite software and capable of learning other platforms to suit the needs of the position.
Ø    Familiar with the proper usage and maintenance of field equipment.

Please send copy of resume and contact information for 2 references to:

James Fischer
Research Director
The White Memorial Conservation Center, Inc.
80 Whitehall Rd.
P.O. Box 368
Litchfield, CT  06759

phone: 860-567-0857
fax: 860-567-2611

Application Period:  Open until filled.  Application period begins February 15, 2013.

Click here to download a .pdf document

It's Time to Get the Songbird Nest Boxes Ready!




It's time to check those nest boxes to insure they are ready for this breeding season.  We'll be hosting a volunteer training for those people who would like to help us with monitoring all of the nest boxes on the property.  More information about the workshop will be posted soon, but take a look a the video in the meantime to see who makes them and how they are created.

New England Cottontail Habitat Management Project Articles and Media

New England Cottontail.org has published an article about the habitat management project on Apple Hill that is creating habitat for early succession species, with a special emphasis on the New England Cottontail (Sylvilagus transitionalis).

You can also see a video explaining the project at Apple Hill below.