Date: 4/22/25 7:58 am From: Bobbie Rochow <bobbielou1960...> Subject: Re: Moraine St park nestboxes
I really enjoyed everything you shared. Thank you. I noticed about flying
squirrels, when I cut the limbs off the tree hanging over my cabin roof,
they quit getting in. One night I had one run across my pillow at night!
On Tue, Apr 22, 2025, 10:24 AM jerry Kruth <
<00000005ead0dac6-dmarc-request...> wrote:
> Linda and I motored up I-79 yesterday, to Moraine St. Park,to do our
> sorta-annual nestbox review.
>
>
>
> From all the dozens and dozens of boxes once erected aroundthe area, old
> age and lethargy have reduced my efforts, now limited to thetrove of boxes
> centered around Porter’s Cove, in the extreme SW corner of thepark.
>
>
>
> We had a strange mixed-bag outcome.
>
>
>
> First there were the half-dozen “tele-poles” we erected someyears back,
> with the wonderful help of a power company who “planted” thoseguys, and I
> installed each with six boxes. Sadly, on the four down the bridal trail
> (horses, not marriages) onlyone box appeared to have a Chickadee nest, with
> light moss surrounding a bed ofleaves. Other than that, we had whatmight
> be a flying squirrel’s hangout, and then several with those wasps thatbuild
> those mud nests? Extremely disappointingfor all that effort.
>
>
>
> Back up at ‘The Cove,” are the two other poles. Around those boxes was
> already a delightfulswarm of those dazzling iridescent green-and-white
> long-range migrants! So now, I’m up on a ladder, hoping not tokill myself,
> or worse -- end up some cripple, and peering in, hoping not to getstung,
> bitten, or whatever. I find abox packed with materials similar to the
> ubiquitous field mice, so I take astick and gently began to remove the moss
> and debris.
>
>
>
> Out pop one, two, four tiny (flying?) squirrels, They all fall into the
> leaves below. Fortunately not one hit the water (did I mentionI again
> foolishly forgot boots, so now my sneakers are freezing cold with theApril
> water (sigh!). I race down theladder, scoop them all up in my hat, so as
> not to touch them -- with theireyes still closed, and now whimpering tiny
> squeaks of protest, and I then gentlyclimb and put them back!
>
>
>
> How these squirrels get into those boxes (and mice) amazes,as they have
> thirty inches of aluminum wrap to traverse, but I also suspect
> overhangingbranches can help them arrive by parachute!.
>
>
>
> The rest of those dozen boxes contained several for-sure oldnests, which I
> removed, and scraped out the boxes. Then there were several more nests,
> which ifnot new construction, at least contain materials that can be
> reused, so I left them.
>
>
>
> There was also at least one box containing a completeold nest built over a
> previous one, feathers and all, so it begs the question – Ifan old nest
> seems okay, why do they go the work to do an entirely new one?
>
>
>
> I replaced a broken box (perhaps from one of the Park’s miscreantvisitor’s
> efforts?); repaired the roof of another, and retreated so the vexedswarm of
> arrivals could continue their own efforts.
>
>
>
> By this time, the Park boat had arrived, skippered bynone-the-less than
> the Park Manager, himself, Dustin Drew! This guy is one of a long-line of
> great MS ParkManagers who have been just great in giving Bartramian Audubon
> every kind ofgreat assistance over the years. Thank you Dustin, et al.
> Heskippered me out to the Last Man Standing snag, where, upon arrival I
> found Ihad foolishly left my cordless drill atop one of the poles I had
> just finished(sigh!). Dustin cheerfully hauled us backto the landing
> (another sigh!). By nowthe rains had started AGAIN. Dustin wasnot
> deterred, and we went back out, where I found another swarm of TS
> alreadyworking on their own efforts!
>
>
>
> I lamented to Dustin, “It’s a real pity we never had someoneinterested in
> banding these guys.” I believe those small “swarms,” must be those
> offspring bornhere over the years, but no way to prove that, I guess.
>
>
>
> Tragically, one box contained SIX of last year’s tinynestlings,
> long-desiccated. Perhaps the resultof a freeze, or maybe the parents
> succumbed? Nature is beautiful, but also heart-rending; you see much of
> both if you’reat this long enough
>
>
>
> I replaced a roof or two, did a few other fixes, and thenremoved several
> obviously old nests, and left the swarming bunch to their owndevices. I
> reflected on how, when therewere the original SIX snags, the annual
> pre-nesting huge swarm of TS was an absolutedelight to encounter. Time and
> lake icehave finally consumed the other five, so Last Man Standing hangs on
> anotheryear.
>
>
>
> When does our own time come, one might muse? No one gets out alive!
>
>
>
> From that vantage point, I could see the previouslymentioned four poles on
> land, just a couple of hundred yards away that areignored!?
>
>
> Go figure?
>
> Dustin dropped us back at the wharf? We gave a profuse thanks, and waved
> him a warm goodbye as he motored off!
>
>
> In closing, Linda and I left, tired, but exultant! Not every effort at
> nestboxes is successful;some have unhappy endings, but all the efforts are
> worthwhile!
>
>
>
> So – in case you are equivocating -- If you want your own experienceon how
> YOU can make a positive impact, just do it. It’s still not too late to get
> a few boxes upsomewhere, in the right habitat! If youneed any
> encouragement or help, write me.
>
>
>
> Thanks for reading, and best wishes for good birding experiences!
>
>
>
> Jerry Kruth
>
>
>
> Pittsburgh
>
