Virginia Bluebird Society
The items below contain information we use in establishing and working our bluebird trails. We provide it here for your potential use in establishing a single bluebird nest box or for an extended trail.
Trail Management |
Monitoring ProtocolMonitor InformationTrail Monitoring Forms
Weekly Nest Box Monitor Form
|
 Monitoring
Protocol: Our
Monitoring Protocol provides information on how we feel it is
best to manage and monitor a bluebird trail for the best results.
It tells why nest boxes should be monitored and lists specific rules
and procedures we use on bluebird nest box trails. These procedures
are especially useful when several different people are monitoring
the same trail. Click here for more
on Monitoring Protocol.Return to Top of Page |
| Monitor
Information: Take a look at this
summation of information which will be of use when you monitor
a single nest box or an extended trail of boxes. It contains
information on what to expect during the typical nesting of bluebirds:
the cycle of nest building; laying, incubating, and hatching of
the eggs; and fledging of the baby bluebirds. Information
is also provided on some of the other birds which you might find
in the bluebird nest box, and some of the typical predators which
threaten the bluebirds. Also provided is a list of equipment
which is useful in monitoring your bluebird trail. Click
here for more monitoring information. Return to Top of Page |
| Trail
Monitoring Forms: We have developed several data and summary
forms for use in monitoring and reporting activity on bluebird nest
box trails. The forms were recently updated (May 2006), and are listed
below. We encourage the use of these forms to keep track of the
status of the trails and as a record for reporting annual results.
Each of the forms may be downloaded as a PDF file by clicking on
its title. In addition, there are detailed instructions for filling
out the forms. Return to Top of Page |
| Weekly
Nest box Monitor Form. This form is for use by trail
monitors during the nesting season to keep records of activity for
each nest box on a trail. A separate sheet should be used for each
nest box. We suggest that the Trail Monitor or Trail Leader assemble
a Trail Notebook for each trail: a loose-leaf binder holding the
Weekly Trail Summary Sheet, and a divider for each nest box and
its Weekly Nest Box Monitor Form. Also include pictures and descriptions
about what to look for in guessing a chick’s age. |
|
| .Weekly
Trail Summary Sheet, Page 2. For weeks 13 through the
end of the nesting season. |
| Individual
Trail Annual Summary Form, Page 1, At the end of each
nesting season, we ask trail owners or leaders to provide VBS a
summary of the performance of their trails. These summaries are
used to compile results for the whole state of Virginia. This form
has two pages; page 1 is for a summary of results for each nest
box on the trail; a page 1 supplement is provided for additional
species (beyond those on page 1: bluebirds, chickadees, tree swallows,
house wrens, other species), while page 2 is for information about
the trail, including the types of nest boxes, hole size and shape,
mountings. |
| Individual
Trail Annual Summary Form, Page 2.
For nestbox and trail characteristics. |
| County
Coordinator's Annual Summary Form. Optional. This form
is for the use of the VBS County Coordinators; It is a summary of
the data from all trails in their jurisdictions. |
Instructions.
Click here to for a down load of the instructions for using the
data forms.
Filling in forms on your computer. While we expect the Weekly Nest Box Monitor Form and theWeekly Trail Summary Sheet to be filled in with a pencil or pen, any of the summary forms can be filled in using your computer. If you have a spreadsheet program in your computer, contact Charlie Chambers at charles.chambers@verizon.net, and we’ll arrange to send you the forms in the required format.. Disposition of completed forms. In 2001, some folks sent their data directly to the compiler, Charlie Chambers, while others sent theirs to their county coordinators who then passed the data on to Charlie. Whichever way you choose to operate should be up to your county coordinator (punch the County Coordinators button on the home page), so contact that person first. The preferred source for the data is the Individual Trail Annual Summary Form. Send the completed forms to: Charlie Chambers |
The PDF files above as well as others on this web site my be viewed using the free Adobe® Acrobat® Reader which can be downloaded from the Adobe® Web Site.
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Bluebird in flight image by W. Long
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