2018 Trailfinders Reunion
News
Nature Center Box1
The James Reserve has installed a nest box camera at the Idyllwild Nature Center:
Idyllwild Nature Center’s newest feathered residents are also our newest reality stars!
A family of Western Blue Birds have taken up residence in the nesting boxes found in front of the center. Their antics are being live streamed at the link below, thanks to the James Reserve’s generous assistance linking into their wired-woods technology.
Western Bluebirds tend to have a clutch size between 4 to 6 eggs. It will take 13 – 14 days for the eggs to hatch once the mother starts incubating the eggs. Some eggs may not hatch because one of the parents is infertile, poor incubation (common with young females with little incubating experience) or the egg shell is week. Once the eggs hatch the young birds will not fledge from the nest for 17 to 22 days. If the food source is in plenty a western bluebird pair can produce a 2nd brood in the same nesting season.
Follow them on the Nature Center Facebook page.
Tray Feeder
Viewer Information
This is a tray feeder containing seed.
Viewers are likely to see many of our resident birds such as the American Crow, American Robin, Band-tailed Pigeon, Common Raven, Dark-eyed Junco, Mountain Chickadee, Mourning Dove, Pygmy and White-breasted Nuthatch, Purple and House Finch, Northern Flicker, Stellar’s Jay and White-headed and Acorn Woodpecker. You may also see some of the less common feeder station birds, seasonal or migratory birds such as the Black-headed Grosbeak, Brown-headed Cowbird, European Starling, Lesser and Lawrence’s Goldfinch, Oak Titmouse, Pine Siskin, Scrub Jay, Western Tanager, White-crowned and Golden-crowned Sparrow.
Mealworm Feeder
Viewer Information
This is a tray feeder containing Mealworms.
This station is used to feed the Western Bluebirds mealworms (Tenebrio malitor). Mealworm distribution was discontinued this year due to it’s possible influence on a nest box study being conduction on the reserve.
Bird Bath
Viewer Information
The bird bath is located next to the feeder station:
Viewers are likely to see the American Crow, Band-tailed Pigeon, Black-Headed Grosbeak, Common Raven, Dark-eyed Junco, Mountain Chickadee, Mourning Dove, Northern Flicker, Purple and House Finch, Pygmy and White-breasted Nuthatch, Stellar’s Jay, Western Bluebird, White-headed and Acorn Woodpecker bathing and/or drinking from the birdbath.
Nectar Feeder
Viewer Information
The nectar feeder is visited by Anna’s, Black-chinned and Rufous Hummingbirds. Viewers may occasionally see Calliope and Costa’s hummingbirds. The nectar is a mixture of 1 part table sugar to 4-5 parts water. Hummingbirds also feed on small insects in addition to nectar.