2023
The Tribute Trail was very active with only one box left empty all season. The boxes were nesting sites for Mountain Bluebirds, Tree Swallows, House Wrens and a Black-capped Chickadee.
The number of Mountain Bluebird fledglings increased from 21 last year to 33. The Tree Swallows, however, decreased significantly this year because of a cold, rainy week during the time when several eggs had just hatched.
Boxes 15 and 24 both had two sets of bluebird babies, the first in May and the second in June.
Ron Reist, Trail Monitor for the Legacy-Rotary Trail, banded all the baby bluebirds. One of the mother birds that had young in box 13 was banded last year 17 km east of Highway 2.
It was a great season for Mountain Bluebirds on the Tribute Trail. Looking forward to next year to see what birds nest in the boxes!
Shannon Weseen
Volunteer Trail Monitor
2022
I would say it was a successful first season on the Tribute Trail. Mountain Bluebirds or Tree Swallows occupied 19 of the 25 boxes. Two additional boxes had House Wrens.
Tree Swallows laid eggs twice in one of the boxes, once in June and again in July. Just when I thought the season was wrapping up, more eggs appeared.
58 Tree Swallows fledged; and 21 beautiful Mountain Bluebirds were banded and successfully fledged.
I look forward to seeing if any of them come back to this trail next year!
Shannon Weseen
Volunteer Tribute Trail Monitor