Date: 6/23/26 5:04 am From: Ross Brittain <rossalanbrittain...> Subject: NSWO nest boxes 2026
Hello All, As some of you may know, I have had an ongoing nest box study for Northern Saw-whet Owls in the WV highlands for several years now, funded in part by the Brooks Bird Club. A student of mine, Levi Summe, and I put up nest boxes in the Mon NF along 72 transects of 3 nest boxes each (1 box along a forest road, 1 box 50m from the forest road and the last box 100m from the forest road). Since most nest boxes for NSWOs are placed along forest roads and have low use rates, my hypothesis is that the owls would prefer boxes further from the road.
This year we had four nesting attempts by the NSWOs, and amazingly, all four boxes appear to have successfully fledged young. I say "appear" because one of the nests was along Canaan Loop Road, which was closed until 6/13 so I couldn't get in to check those boxes. However, I can tell that one box had a nesting attempt and based on the amount of poop and pellets in the box, they appear to have fledged (once you see it, you know). I do know for certain that we banded 14 baby NSWOs in the other three boxes this year. We banded the last of the babies on Father's Day. This year the owls were on eggs much earlier than normal, too. We are usually banding babies between mid June and the first week of July, but this year we banded most of the babies in May and finished the last box on June 21st (the only nest in line with our usual phenology).
Overall, we have had 23 nesting attempts by NSWOs over the last 8 years, which is obviously not a high rate of use... there goes the first hypothesis. But they are being used and I should soon (within the next 2 years) be able to draft a manuscript on nest box preferences for this species in WV. The most nesting attempts we have had in any single year is five, but this year we banded the most babies of any year since there was no predation.
Anecdotally I can say that they do not seem to prefer boxes from the road. Also, they always nest on old squirrel nests made of moss or birch bark strips, so we learned to leave the squirrel nests in place. Lastly, once a box has successfully been used to fledge young, the owls have never reused it. I have had multiple nesting attempts in different boxes along the same transect. I also have had one box with two nesting attempts, but the first nesting attempt was predated before the eggs hatched so it never developed the crust of poop and pellets that the successful nests get. For those transects with multiple nesting attempts, all but one have had at least one year in between the nesting attempts. In other words, this species has low nesting site fidelity, probably due to a combination of the old nests being covered in poop (disease prevention) and because a nesting site likely has fewer prey items around the next year (prey populations need to recover).
Date: 6/23/26 3:35 am From: Jack OConnell <jack...> Subject: Red-Tailed Hawk Family - Greenbrier Co.
During yesterday's travels I noticed two red-tailed hawks perched on fence posts just a few posts apart. In a minute a third hawk joined them. Then a fourth! I guess that I was seeing a whole family, as there were two adults and two immatures. What a treat to see!
Date: 6/17/26 1:56 pm From: Casey Rucker <autoblock...> Subject: Purple Finches back at feeders (Tucker)
Hi, all,
After a month or so hiatus, at least one pair of Purple Finches are back at the feeders. I seem to have seven pairs of Rose-breasted Grosbeaks this year, and am getting regular visits from at least one Brown Thrasher. Hairy and Downy Woodpeckers are feeding their adorable chicks. There seems to be a big need for supplemental food here this June.
All, I have a bumper crop of babies birds this year! So many parents and fledglings visiting my feeders.
The Downy parents get the award for worst parents. They left their son in the tree that holds the suet feeder. Poor kid took days to figure it out and fell into the fish pond trying to get a drink. I got him out and back into the tree. Finally his tail feathers have come in and his life has improved drastically.
The cardinals, crows, ravens, mallards and jays all have fledglings visiting the feeders, yard and grown up fence row.
Best fledgling award goes to the Baltimore Oriole couple who took up residence in a sycamore across the highway. I hold my breath each time they fly across Rt 220. Dad showed up this afternoon with a fledgling at the orange/jelly feeder. This is a first for me! I have had adults for several years, but no youngsters.
Hope everyone is seeing lots of good bird babies too!
Date: 6/12/26 4:27 am From: James Phillips <jimandjudyphillips...> Subject: Thrasher beat me to it
This morning while I was putting our bird feeders out, I noticed a medium size brown moth flopping around on the ground. When I leaned down for a closer look for identification, a brown thrasher ran over, grabbed it and disappeared into the bushes. I'm glad I don't have to compete with a thrasher for my vittles. Jim Phillips Summers County Pipestem, WV
Date: 6/7/26 5:24 am From: James Phillips <jimandjudyphillips...> Subject: Ravens doing well
Seems like Common Ravens are having a good season here in Southern WV. The pair nesting in the billboard in Princeton had three fledglings. A pair nesting in a billboard near Bluefield. A family of 5 have been at the Mercer County Landfill. The pair near us in Pipestem raised 2. There was a family of 5 at the entrance to Bluestone S.P. Early in the season we saw a pair with 1 fledgling in Camp Creek S.P. Yesterday, we saw a family of 3 over I-77 at Flat Top and a single bird at Ghent. Jim & Judy Phillips Summers County Pipestem, WV
Date: 6/6/26 10:46 am From: MFowler <monty...> Subject: Warbler and mourning dove
Had a nice treat Friday morning while eating breakfast in a restaurant in Huntington - a male Yellow Warbler spent a few minutes in a tree right outside our booth. He looked like he was checking the tree branches for bugs.
I've also confirmed, yet again, that it is a miracle that enough Mourning Doves have survived to perpetuate the species. A nest in one of our cedar trees had three eggs. I found one egg cracked on the driveway under the next, with a fully-developed baby inside, and a few days later, two dead hatchlings without feathers dead on the driveway. No sign of the parents.
