2018 Nesting season summary

2018 was not a new record year, but remains among the top productive years with 571 chicks reaching day 13. Although data still need to be analyzed, our impression was a higher nest depredation rate. The season also ended earlier than usual.

The best story of the season is probably that of the female in box 311. She got severely injured, seemingly by a mammal like a cat (see the flap of skin on her belly on the picture above), but healed well and with her mate's help successfully reared her clutch to fledging and she even attempted a second clutch which produced four chicks that survived at least until day 13--the final fate is unknown.

Below is a summary of the season in numbers.

First egg date:

2018: March 22

2017: March 23

2016: March 18

2015: March 28

Last Fledging date:

2018: Aug. 29

2017: Sept. 7

2016: Sept. 18

2015: Sept. 2

Number of chicks banded (day13):

2018: 571

2017: 697

2016: 531

2015: 424

Number of clutches produced with chicks reared to day13:

2018: 143

2017: 167

2016: 131

2015: 107

Number of boxes in which chicks were produced:

2018: 94

2017: 128

2016: 84

2015: 107

Number of recaptured birds:

2018: 52 birds who were born in 2017 + 57 birds who were already adults in 2017

2017: 45 birds who were born in 2016 + 67 birds who were already adults in 2016

2016: 27 birds who were born in 2015 + 62 birds who were already adults in 2015

2015: 36 birds who were born in 2014 + 50 birds who were already adults in 2014

Number of new adults:

2018: 73

2017: 75

2016: 53

2015: 43