This weekend, I and other members of the Research Triangle Park Green team met at the Boxyard to clean out all the bluebird boxes the RTP has on the common grounds in the park. There are over 30 boxes, and green team members from RTP tenants divided up the boxes and set out to clean them for the winter.  A member of the  North Carolina Bluebird Society provided us with details on how to perform the cleanings, which is important for the following reasons:

  • It ensures that the boxes are clean and ready to be nested in next spring
  • It allows them to be used in the winter for huddling (birds will find shelter in the boxes when the weather is bad)
  • It removes any insects or mites and take note of the success of the last brood

I checked 5 boxes, and was happy to report all of my boxes had successful nestings!  They all had bluebird nests in them and the signs of a clutch still remained. I also cleaned out a couple of nuthatch boxes as they were also near by.  It was a lot of fun, as I took my bike and all the boxes are located along RTP’s extensive network of paved paths.

Most of the RTP tenants are represented on the Green Team.  If you work in the park and want to join in, check at your company or free free to contact me!

Map of the bluebird boxes in RTP
Map of the bluebird boxes in RTP
One of the bluebird boxes along the trails
One of the bluebird boxes along the trails
Post event drinks and snacks at the BoxYard with Fullsteam
Post event drinks and snacks at the BoxYard with Fullsteam

 

 

 

 

 

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John Rees lives in Chapel Hill. His day job is an enterprise architect for a big IT company. He was, until very recently, a member of the Chapel Hill Planning Commission and former chair. He serves on...