The Forgotten Land AND...

Since I was on a roll with Area One earlier in the week, I decided to get to the Forgotten Land a few days later. It's not booming and exciting like 2017 because the Bluebirds did not come back (nothing against the Tree Swallows). I am sad about this and hope for another time with them, another year, either here or some place else I am monitoring. It was a dramatic adventure and something I won't ever forget.

Anyway, let's get on with this. 7 boxes stand in the Forgotten Land, well, actually 8 because I discovered another box that was missed in my many walks of the area. I decided to leave it where it stands. It's a reminder of what once was in the area and no bird would ever use it because of where it is and the shape it is in.

Two other boxes have active nests. One has 7 eggs! That's a record high for me with a Tree Swallow nest.

It's nice to see them in a much more stable and secure box this year. Last year, they were on the same post in a dilapidated box I was fearful of inspecting again after discovering them. They had 6 eggs in 2017, and all successfully fledged. I'm curious if it's one of the same birds from last year?

The other box has 5 eggs inside. Also Tree Swallows. There is another box nearby, which has the start of a nest and hopefully it turns into something by next visit. All these boxes are in the section I've named West Hill. The other section, East Ravine, has 2 boxes and no activity.

The walk through the Forgotten Land isn't easy ever since that wind storm from earlier in the month. A few large trees were blown over and still lay across the paths.

If you caught my blog regarding the Forgotten Land from a few months ago, you might remember that I took down 27 boxes and left them in 3 neat piles off the path. They sat there until sometime recently cleaned them up. My last visit 2 weeks ago, the boxes were still there, but now they are gone. I'm going with either a community clean up or the city took on this task. I know it's not the people I've been in contact with about the area because there's still 30+ t-bars still in the ground. I have given up entirely on that group now. I have plans in the works for 2019 already which I hope to start up this fall; nothing big but hopefully a little more appealing to the birds.

AND, now for the last area which I have named Lambton since this is right around the corner from my home. I put one box up in 2017 and it had no activity. Earlier this Spring I put in another 2 that were given to me. One of those boxes has a Tree Swallow nest and 5 eggs.

When I first opened the box, I found a female Tree Swallow inside and she had no intention of leaving. So I closed the box up and walked away.

I went to check the other box which is about 60 ft east, it has no activity. I noticed her flying out while I was at this box. I took the opportunity to have another look now and saw the eggs.

The initial box has the start up of a Chickadee nest. I'm unsure if it's in development or they have since abandoned it and chose to nest elsewhere. I did notice an active cavity not too far from this box where Chickadees were seemingly nesting. This tiny cavity has had Chickadees in the past and another year some Downy Woodpeckers. We will know what's going on here by my next visit.

That mossy nesting material is a sure sign of Chickadees in my past experiences.

In 2 weeks time I will do another check of everything and hopefully have a total egg count for the season; unless we get a surprise second brood somewhere after.